With a wedding on the horizon, a prenuptial agreement may seem like a distant priority or may even seem distasteful to consider for many couples. These are normal things to feel as you prepare to share the rest of your life with someone, but they are still misguided perspectives that may cost you dearly in the future, even if you never divorce.
Prenuptial agreements are not just tools that wealthy people use to protect their fortunes. In fact, prenuptial agreements may offer a great deal to those who have very little at the time of the wedding, provided they have the foresight to look into the future and plan wisely. Couples who choose to use prenuptial agreements not only enjoy the peace of mind that these protections bring with them, they may also improve the strength of the relationship significantly.
In order to properly prepare a prenuptial agreement, a couple must familiarize themselves with each other’s financial circumstances and behavior. If you have ever read a single article about the leading causes of divorce across all demographics, it should come as no surprise that conflicts over how to handle money is one of the most destructive things to any marriage. By preparing a prenuptial agreement, spouses can not only protect themselves and each other, they also have an excellent structure to learn about each others’ financial matters, potentially avoiding devastating conflicts down the road.
Additionally, you may use a prenuptial agreement to keep your debts separate and to clarify financial roles and expectations surrounding finances within the marriage, strengthening rather than weakening your relationship. If you are engaged, or merely thinking about getting married, be sure to consider a strong prenuptial agreement. The benefits and protections that prenuptial agreements offer are simply too good to pass up.
Source: FindLaw, “What Can and Cannot be Included in Prenuptial Agreements,” accessed May 11, 2018