Are You Planning to Get Married Or Recently Married? Perhaps You Want to Sign a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement with Your Spouse
Contrary to popular perception, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are designed to help protect the rights and needs of each individual spouse, not to dissuade people from getting married.
Prenuptial Agreements
A prenuptial agreement, or prenup, is signed before the marriage. The features of a prenup agreement generally include:
- The rights of each spouse in the event of the other’s demise
- The financial rights of each spouse in case of a divorce
- The financial obligations of each spouse in case of separation
The main reasons why people enter into a prenuptial agreement is to protect their assets, including the ones they own before the marriage, or ones they expect to inherent. Also, the agreement may detail whether or not a spouse will receive alimony or spousal support in case the marriage ends in a divorce.
Postnuptial Agreements
A postnuptial agreement comes into the picture in case of a change in the relationship in terms of finances, during the marriage. A spouse may want greater financial security in case of separation or divorce. Postnuptial agreements are generally intended to
- Compensate for the absence of a prenup agreement, which may have been discussed but was not signed
- Protect a spouse in case of a betrayal, which leads to financial concerns
- Outline the terms and conditions if a spouse has inherited money or assets
- Protect the rights of a spouse in case the other spouse has taken on a significant amount of debt
Regardless of whether you want to sign a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, it is important that you get in touch with an experienced lawyer.
Trust your case to an expert in prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Call Matthew Sheasby, Attorney at Law, at (909) 922-2543 to discuss your case.