Planning to get married involves a lot of preparation. While you are thinking about everything from flowers to color schemes, it can be beneficial to make the effort to ensure the full and complete protection of your financial interests. This can be done by drafting a prenuptial agreement.
Many Florida couples decline to take this important step because they believe that by doing so, they are planning for their marriage to fail. In reality, drafting a prenuptial agreement is planning for a strong future by facilitating beneficial conversations and providing peace for mind for both parties.
The benefits of a prenup
A prenuptial agreement is a legal document that outlines the distribution of marital debt and property in the event that a marriage fails. This in itself is a great benefit, but a prenup can also provide the following benefits as well:
- Provides the opportunity to discuss important money-related issues before marriage
- Allows a couple to avoid disputes over marital property in case of divorce
- Can provide assurance regarding complicated financial or property issues that may arise in the future
Discussing the need for a prenuptial agreement can be awkward, but it is a conversation well worth having. A prenuptial agreement is not a luxury reserved only for the wealthy, but is a beneficial step for any couple who is preparing to get married.
Asking the right questions
There is no one-size-fits-all prenuptial agreement. If you believe that you may benefit from this step, you can work on an agreement tailored to your specific needs and your individual goals. It can be useful to ask questions and have meaningful discussions with your partner about the following in order to ensure your prenuptial agreement matches your needs:
- Potential future alimony
- Division of marital property
- Ownership of family business
- Distribution of marital debt
- Debts that will be brought into the marriage
- Future inheritance or possibility of higher income
Your agreement should include proper language in order to be certain that it will stand up to scrutiny or disputes. This step is not about planning for the marriage to fail; it is about protecting personal property rights in the future. The peace of mind that comes with protecting your future is worth the effort it takes to make sure a strong prenuptial agreement is in place before you get to the altar.