What is a prenuptial agreement?

Once purely the realm of the rich and famous, more Americans are choosing to sign prenuptial agreements before walking down the aisle. While many traditionalists may find this an unromantic state of affairs, it is a wise couple who decides to think about signing a prenuptial agreement before getting legally meshed through marriage. According to Forbes Magazine, money and communication are the top two reasons for divorce: a prenuptial agreement can help mitigate this by encouraging clear communication about finances before marriage.

Prenuptial agreements are not necessarily for everybody, but there are certain circumstances where they may be very beneficial. The traditional reason to get one is if one spouse comes into the marriage with considerably more assets than the other, or is going to come into a large inheritance in the future. However, there are also reasons why middle-class persons may find a prenuptial agreement agreeable. For instance, if one spouse is planning to stay home with future children, a prenuptial agreement can help protect that individual financially in the event of a divorce.

Couples who are planning to start a business together also benefit from prenuptial agreements, as they can prevent the business from becoming “marital property.” This logic also works if one person is coming into the marriage as a business owner and the other partner is not.

Prenuptial agreements encourage couples to think about their financial futures prior to getting married. While there are many who think that a prenuptial agreement is a sign of not “trusting” a spouse, nothing could be further from the truth. A good prenuptial agreement can help ensure financial harmony in the marriage for years to come.