Prenuptial agreements are meant to help, not destroy

Many California residents know about prenuptial agreements, but they may have an instinctive resistance to them. That’s because for the longest time, we were told that prenups are a relationship killer. By asking your significant other to sign such a contract before marriage, it was like you were telling them “I care more about money and assets than you.” Or so that’s what we were told.

However, prenuptial agreements are actually very important documents that protect both spouses in case a divorce were to occur. They doesn’t predicate divorce, nor does signing one mean that you or your spouse are “planning” on divorcing at some point in the future. Instead, the prenup establishes some basic protections for both you and your spouse just in case a divorce occurs.

The prenuptial agreement can deal with a number of factors. For example, is there are assets or finances that you are bringing into the marriage that you want to keep separate from your spouse in case of divorce, a prenup can establish rules and provisions to enable this to happen. In a similar manner, you can address who obtains the responsibility for certain debts that either spouse brings to the marriage.

Just having the prenup talk can be a big step for couples, allowing them to get some important issues out in the open. You may even find that an issue is brought up that you weren’t even thinking about before. Ultimately, only you and your spouse can decide if a prenup is right for your relationship — but just remember that the prenup exists only to protect you, not to break you and your spouse up.

Source: credit.com, “Should You Get a Prenup?,” AJ Smith, Aug. 29, 2014