Friday, March 12, 2010

Sensible... Sentimental... Prenuptial Agreements?

Somewhere between Family Law and Estate Planning lie Prenuptial Agreements.  These documents—once avoided at all costs by all but the super-rich as pessimistic or unromantic—are now considered by just about every financial advisor or specialist to be good financial planning, good estate planning, and just good sense.

Prenups are no longer just for the rich and famous, and they’re not for people “who will probably get divorced anyway.”  A prenup is a good idea for the small-business owner, the older bride or groom with children from a previous marriage, the newly-graduated student with a huge amount of credit card debt, and the expectant heir or heiress.  In fact, according to this article in USA Today even “Personal-finance expert Suze Orman encourages every engaged couple to get one to protect their current and future assets as well as to shield themselves in case a mate secretly runs up massive credit card debt (which could damage both partners' credit scores).”

And we’re not talking about your parent’s prenups anymore.  As with most things, prenuptial agreements have evolved over the years: “Some prenups touch upon more sentimental topics, such as who keeps the heirloom silverware received as a wedding present...” and “Some prenups address issues such as adultery, frequency of intimacy, limitations of weight gain, the scheduling of housekeeping and provisions for pets.”

If there is a wedding somewhere in your near future consider calling our office to talk about whether a prenuptial agreement might benefit you and your fiancé. Prenups may have a reputation as being unromantic, but what could be more romantic or loving than planning your future... together.