In a perfect world, no one would get divorced, and every couple that sets out to get married would stay happily married and together for life. Unfortunately, not all marriages last. When they end, and couples get divorced, people need to separate all aspects of their life, which can be challenging, particularly because hostility toward each other is often running high.
Having a prenuptial agreement can save you the difficulty of going through a messy divorce. A skilled McLean prenuptial agreements lawyer could meet with you to explain how they work and ensure your interests are fairly represented. A marital agreements attorney from our firm is ready to help.
Reasons Why Prenuptial Agreements Can Be Beneficial
In the past, only the richest individuals with high assets considered entering into prenuptial agreements to protect their long-standing wealth, especially if they were marrying someone who had considerably less wealth. Today, however, many more couples are choosing to enter into prenuptial agreements for several reasons.
Protect Assets
Many people today are holding off on marriage until they are older. Consequently, they might have had more time to build their assets, and they want to ensure they have control over what could happen to those assets. Without a prenuptial agreement in place, the parties would need to agree on the division of their assets at an emotionally charged time. If they are unable to reach a satisfactory resolution of their issues, a court would determine the division of their assets, and the decisions are taken out of the couple’s hands.
Learn About Each Other’s Assets
Although discussing sensitive financial and other matters before marriage can seem difficult, the process can be very helpful. The full disclosure of all debts and liabilities can prove beneficial because it leaves a couple with no sudden surprises that could interfere with their marriage. The in-depth discussions about finances prior to entering into a prenuptial agreement can help them fully understand each other’s spending and saving habits. By knowing exactly where they stand financially, the couple can move forward with full clarity.
Practical
While people do not like to think about it, having a clear prenup in place can be very practical. Instead of going through a contentious and expensive divorce, the couple could simply refer to the terms of their prenup. A prenuptial agreement allows a couple to negotiate fairly with each other while they are on good terms, rather than having them argue in court.
Experienced McLean attorneys could offer clear guidance and advice to an individual who is considering entering into a prenuptial agreement before their marriage.
What Can a Couple Address in a Prenup?
Prenuptial agreements cannot discuss matters relating to child custody and child support because courts make those determinations after considering what is in the best interests of the child at the time of the parents’ separation. However, prenups can address financial aspects of a marriage, including the following:
- What happens if one spouse inherits property during the marriage
- What assets will a surviving spouse inherit if one spouse dies
- How the couple will address assets acquired during the marriage
- Spousal support
A knowledgeable McLean attorney could use their experience handling a wide range of prenuptial agreements to ensure that the prenup is fair and enforceable.
Contact a McLean Prenup Agreement Attorney
Although some people believe that entering into a prenuptial agreement is a bad idea because it shows that a couple does not have much faith that their marriage will last, in fact, a concise prenuptial agreement can protect a marriage.
Contact a McLean prenuptial agreements lawyer at Capital Family & Divorce Law Group of Price Benowitz LLP to learn more about the legal process.
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