“’Til death do us part”…or ’til you’re served divorce papers. When someone pops the question and it’s time to start preparing for the wedding, there may be talk of a prenuptial agreement. This is a legal document that states who gets what in the event of a divorce. Many couples enter a marriage with prenups, but we’ll tell you the common dangers of prenuptial agreements you need to know.
They Might Make You Think Less of Your Partner
At their core, prenuptial agreements suggest a lack of faith in the partnership and concern over the commitment to the marriage. You may end up seeing your partner differently after the process.
Start Your Marriage on the Wrong Foot
On top of the emotional weight of a prenuptial agreement, filling your days with lawyers and discussions about money and property isn’t a very romantic aspect of wedding-planning. You should look back on your engagement as a time in which you picked out the cake and floral arrangements—not when you sat for hours in a law office.
It Can Be Unbalanced (and Unnecessary)
No rule says a prenup has to be fair. In some instances, a party may sign a prenuptial agreement assuming they’ll never get a divorce—and when the marriage deteriorates, they end up with less than they deserve. In addition, most states already have divorce laws in place to assist with equitable property distribution.
Can Be Invalidated
Finally, there’s no guarantee that your prenup will even be considered valid after a divorce. Several different factors can invalidate a prenuptial agreement, and if a court declares your agreement invalid, it may as well have never existed.
There are many common dangers of prenuptial agreements, but the decision to get one rests with you and your partner. If your relationship is strong enough, there’s no reason a piece of paper has to stand in your way.
