Reasons For Prenuptial Agreements Before Marriage
Some people will say that when a couple are getting married it’s best not to have any kind of prenuptial agreement, however there are many reasons why this is exactly what you need. If you are somewhat aware of the divorce rates in this country, then you already know the odds of getting a divorce. Things are quite different than when your parents were first married, so don’t kid yourself about staying married forever. Also you should think about securing your finances so don’t be so naive to think it will never happen.
You should think about the large amount of money you can save by having a prenuptial agreement form before marriage. This assumes of course that you both have some assets before the marriage. If that is true, then you both probably want to protect those assets in case of a divorce, whether you plan on having children or not.
Attorney fees can easily cost upwards of $10,000 or more for a contested divorce, but this can be avoided completely with a prenuptial agreement.
Another thing to keep in mind is if either or both of you already have kids from a previous marriage or relationship, and want to make sure they are provided for in the case of a divorce proceeding. Whether they are grown children or not, they can be provided a distribution of your assets (either party) in this case which will provide some peace of mind for you. Knowing that your children are legally protected is critical in cases of divorce.
Reason three is just to point out the obvious – if one person has a large amount of wealth coming into the marriage, while the other person has relatively none, the person with the most has much more to lose in the event of a divorce. This is also common when one or the other is a beneficiary of a large will that may be in the future, and knowledge of this event is something everyone is aware of.
Protecting yourself in these circumstances is just common sense, even if you do trust your partner. You don’t know how the influences of their friends or relatives may effect their judgment. Some people are easily talked into taking advantage of a partner when things start to go bad, so looking out for your best interests only makes sense.
What about kids? If you have children, most women want to take no chances when it comes to making sure the children are taken care of in case of a divorce. You may get child support in case of a divorce, but what about your lifestyle? It would certainly suffer if you marry into money and have no security in advance with a prenuptial agreement form. It works both ways, so remember get your finances in order with an iron-clad legal agreement before hitching your wagon, if you know what I mean.