February 12, 2022
If you are getting married, you may be weighing the pros and cons associated with drafting a prenuptial agreement. If so, your preliminary research has likely revealed that this legal resource has become increasingly popular in recent years. This reality understandably surprises many Americans, as it wasn’t too long ago that drafting a prenuptial agreement was somewhat stigmatized as a task undertaken only by those who expected (on one level or another) that their marriage might fail.
Nowadays, the process of drafting a prenuptial agreement is increasingly viewed as a way to be proactive about the legal realities and financial expectations that accompany marrying another person. This drafting process allows a couple to think through their views about property, division of labor, money, and a host of other marital realities that can pose challenges when times get tough and/or the unexpected occurs. When approached with an open mind, the process of drafting a prenuptial agreement can help to ensure that your marriage is set upon a strong foundation of understanding and mutually agreed upon expectations that will help to prevent a great number of potentially avoidable tensions from derailing what you are trying to build.
Making Decisions Based in Mutual Respect
There are no guarantees in marriage. This is one of the many reasons why having a legally enforceable document in place at the start of a marriage can be so helpful. As an experienced family lawyer – can confirm, most modern prenuptial agreements do not simply articulate expectations as they pertain to the potential of divorce somewhere down the line. Most also lay out enforceable expectations regarding everything from income to social media boundaries that underscore mutually agreed upon values.
However, in the event that you and your spouse do unexpectedly decide to divorce someday, having a prenuptial agreement in place can help to ease the stress of an unquestionably challenging time. Although all couples hope that they will grow together as opposed to apart, life doesn’t always turn out that way. Having an enforceable document in place that was drafted at a time during which you were both looking out for each other’s best interests can help to ensure that both your interests and your partner’s interests are properly accounted for in the event of a split. Additionally, knowing that your interests are protected should you decide to split can help you to focus on repairing a relationship that has begun to crack, should you desire to do so.
