For many generations, prenuptial agreements carried a certain stigma in the public’s view, often seeming like the kind of thing that old, rich families used to keep their wealth protected in case a son or daughter married someone without means of their own. While this is true to an extent, prenups are not only for the rich and powerful. They are also useful for any couple that marries, even if they never divorce.
With a clear understanding of exactly what a prenup offers, many couples now use them to strengthen their marriages rather than create an easy escape hatch if the union sours. If you are approaching marriage, you should create a prenup, for your sake and for the sake of the person you wish to spend your life with.
Prenuptial agreements are primarily a way to establish that certain kinds of property belong to only one spouse. They can also be used to outline how a divorce settlement may play out if the marriage ends. This can relieve many of the pressures that strain marriages, allowing you and your loved one to focus on the relationship itself rather than the pressures around it.
For instance, a prenup may state that a particular piece of property like a car, home or piece of art is solely one spouse’s. This may be a way of one spouse saying “I love you, and if our relationship changes, I want to make sure that you keep this and don’t worry about losing it.
Similarly, you may use a prenup to say to your partner, “I love you and value what you bring to this relationship. While we are on good footing, let’s outline a fair divorce settlement so that if we find ourselves in that place later, we can go our separate ways without fighting over mere things and opening old wounds.”
You can protect yourself and the one you love with a prenuptial agreement that fully addresses the things that both spouses value.