People often wonder if pre-marital agreements are right for them. After all, many people enter into marriage with the idea of a committed life partner for life. When the time comes to tie the knot, however, these wedding dreams can come crashing to the earth. One of the main reasons is that these two individuals have completely different ideas about how the relationship should work. If you’ve got some internal conflicts about what your goals and dreams are as well, then a prenup may be right for you.
It’s important to understand what a prenup is, why it’s important, and how to get one. A prenup is an agreement you and your partner sign concerning everything from your wedding day to the duration of your marriage. This document spells out the specifics of your relationship from birth until death; it also shows who gets custody of your children in case you die. Once you have a prenup in place, your intentions regarding your marriage are crystal clear. As long as it meets the requirements of your state, it legally binds you and your spouse.
In many ways, signing a prenup covers every aspect of your life until your marriage. In addition to having legal ramifications, pre-marital agreements also lay the groundwork for a much happier, stress-free existence after the wedding. Since pre-marital agreements outline the details of your wedding and divorce, they remove the worry and anxiety over your plans and finances. This gives both you and your spouse more peace of mind about where your marriage is headed.
There are many benefits to pre-marital agreements. They allow each party to make sure that everything is covered and can easily be modified if either party feels the need. It is usually easy to modify a prenup if either spouse becomes ill, or has an accident, or is transferred to another location. Both of you may even want to add a new chapter to the prenup if you feel the need, which could help in case of a divorce. You might also want to add or subtract sections from the prenup to reflect your personal beliefs about religion, or anything else that may be important to you. This gives you a little extra protection from what could be expensive litigation if your beliefs are threatened by your partner.
There are also prenups out there that allow the husband to be the sole breadwinner. Again, you will want to discuss this with your partner before you put it in writing. This will make it clear to your partner why you need his help and that you value the relationship more than you want to be paid for it. It is much better to know this in advance than to discover it at the last minute when things aren’t going so well.
While prenups are a good idea, they are not something you should put too much thought into. They are there to guide you, not to be used as a reason to get divorced. If you and your partner have a genuine love for one another, there will be no need to enter into a prenup. If you truly care about your family, though, you will want to include them in the entire process. That way, when the time comes, you will know where you stand. Your prenup will provide you with a clear road map to take to ensure that you and your spouse can remain together for a lifetime.
Voelker & Kairys 