In a nutshell, a prenup – or prenuptial agreement – settles financial matters in the event of a divorce. You and your partner sign the prenup before walking down the aisle. You might wonder: doesn’t this agreement doom the marriage from the start? It might make more sense if you think of prenups as insurance for your marriage.
No matter how badly we wish a marriage could be as simple as a kindergarten Ring Pop proposal, it’s still an official legal contract that’s pretty dang serious. When you tie the knot with your lover, you’re promising to stay together for life and tackle weighty financial decisions as a team.
So, what if you want to protect your hard-earned money when it comes time to divide assets during a divorce? This is where a prenup comes to the rescue.
Definition of a prenup
We often hear about prenup agreements in messy celebrity divorce cases. But what exactly are these documents?
According to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell, a prenup is a written contract between a couple that outlines their financial responsibility and rights so that, if they were ever to break up, things wouldn’t get too nasty. A prenup can help you avoid boiling with rage in court and fighting about who gets to keep the keys to the 3 million dollar Malibu beach house.
“Protect the bag at all costs” – $atrerubiia
How much does a prenup cost?
Prenups aren’t only for multi-millionaires dripping with money and decked out bling-bling jewelry. Depending on your situation, prenups might only cost in the low four figures to draft with a lawyer. According to Yahoo Finance, the average cost for a valid prenup that will hold up in court is anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Of course, the more complicated your finances are, the more you might have to pay out of pocket.
How does a prenup work?
A prenup is a premarital safeguard that can protect both of you if your dreamy wedding ends in a not-so-happily-ever-after divorce. For example, according to Fox Business, if one spouse has significant debt, a prenup can ensure that the other spouse isn’t responsible for these things if the marriage ends. You can also use a prenup to protect inheritances, businesses, and other property.
According to Divorce Net, without a prenup, the state laws will determine how to divide your assets. And going to court can quickly drain your bank account and take up a good chunk of your time. But with a prenup in place, you and your spouse can agree on how to handle finances and property ahead of time, which can save you a lot of headaches and unnecessary hassle down the road if you split.
