Attitudes towards prenuptial agreements need to change
As marriage evolves, couples need to take a different approach to “prenups”
Marriage and domestic life have evolved considerably in recent decades. While before it would have been assumed that one person-usually the wife-would stay home and look after the children while the husband went off to work, today families are far more flexible in splitting child-rearing and financial duties. Despite this evolution, however, many couples are scared about talking about prenuptial agreements before they tie the knot, according to the Huffington Post. Given that the changing nature of marriage makes prenuptial agreements more important than ever before, it is surprising that so many people still consider them so taboo.
Marriage is unpredictable
Marriage, as with most of life, has become increasingly unpredictable as society evolves. The financial situation of both spouses coming into a marriage may change drastically over the course of that marriage. One spouse, for example, may decide to forfeit a promising career in order to take care of the children or another spouse may move frequently between different jobs. Such unpredictability means that the person with the most assets at the beginning of the marriage may have the fewest assets when-and if-the marriage ends.
Of course, while nobody goes into marriage expecting they will one day get divorced, the truth is that divorce is relatively common nowadays. While every newly-married couple should hope for the best, it is also important to prepare for all possible outcomes.
Getting a prenuptial agreement
A prenuptial agreement, once thought to be something only the wealthy were concerned with, is becoming increasingly important for all types of marriages, according to USA Today. Because marriage can be so unpredictable, a prenuptial agreement can help bring clarity and understanding to any marriage.
Unfortunately, many people persist in seeing prenuptial agreements as indicative of a lack of love or romance in a relationship. While prenuptial agreements are certainly highly practical tools, experts also point out that in many cases they can also bring couples closer together. By requiring those who are soon to wed to discuss difficult financial questions upfront, there is a better chance that those couples will be spared having to confront those same issues years later, by which time they may have developed into much bigger problems.
Help with a prenuptial agreement
Drafting a prenuptial agreement takes time and requires the assistance of a qualified family law attorney. Failing to rely on legal assistance can have serious consequences, including a prenuptial agreement that ends up being unenforceable in court. An experienced attorney can assist couples in drafting a prenuptial agreement that adheres to the law and covers the most important issues and concerns those couples may have.
