Romance and Prenuptial Agreements - Protect Yourself

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Romance and Prenuptial Agreements - Protect Yourself

by: Jeffrey Broobin

A legal agreement in anticipation of marriage between future spouses is a prenuptial agreement. It is a legal contract that breaks down how assets will be distributed in the event of divorce or death. These documents have been around for thousands of years and are mentioned in ancient records from biblical times. Popular in the Far East and in European cultures when wealthy families protected their wealth that was build over many years. Today prenuptial agreements are used by all levels of culture and wealth to protect oneself, and are designed to protect what they have worked to achieve. So it is becoming more and more common as divorce is at about 50 percent.

One of the reasons prenuptial agreements are becoming so popular is people are becoming more enlightened and they don't want the courts to decide according to state law, but to their person desires and financial needs. If there are children in you life you will need to protect them, if you anticipate marriage and there are substantial finances involved. Of course if you have nothing, but are marrying into a wealthy family, you don't want to be in a position where after years of marriage you are left with nothing, which happened more in the past but still continues, if you do not protect yourself. It is not romantic, but a prenuptial agreement can make you feel more loved in the long run, if you are considered with generosity. So you don't have to worry, what would happen to you if your mate dies or a divorce happens.

One of the problems with prenuptial agreements if you are the one with the financial resources is bringing it up, to your possible spouse. It is a very touchy situation, but only a fool with considerable resources would marry without one. It could kill the romance and could end the relationship. But if it does, you are better off and have only lost a possible gold digger. You must weigh your words carefully and if your possible spouse really loves you they will understand. A friend of mine anticipating marriage popped the information to his girlfriend and explained he believed they would be together forever, but in case he was wrong he must protect himself, and if he was right and they spent their life together, she would get it all in the end. It is an insurance policy to help reduce problems that could arise if things don't work out.

She signed a generous prenuptial agreement, which increased in its generosity over the years, if they stayed together.

Jeffrey Broobin is a fre lance writer on family and finance issues; his main goal is to help people during their complicated period of life.

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