Pre-marital agreements, also called ante-nuptial agreements, are now widely recognized. Some guidelines should be followed when considering a pre-marital agreement, however.
1. Why do you (or does your prospective spouse) want a pre-marital agreement? Typical valid reasons are the acquisition of significant wealth prior to the marriage, whether through personal efforts or inheritance, and the existence of children born before the marriage. Each set of circumstances is different.
2. When is your wedding? It is best to negotiate and sign an agreement as long as possible prior to the wedding. As a marriage approaches, one or both members of the couple may feel pressure to sign an agreement that she or he does not really want to sign. Moreover, do you really want to be signing a pre-nuptial agreement as your wedding approaches? The answer, from an emotional standpoint, is almost always no!
3. What are the proposed terms of your agreement, and do they seem fair?
For optimum results, and the least amount of stress, you should consult with an attorney as far in advance as your wedding as possible, which will provide the opportunity to discuss all aspects of your circumstances. Attorney Sullivan has negotiated and drafted many pre-marital agreements, and she is prepared both to draft an agreement or, if your fiance(e) has already retained counsel to draft an agreement, to review that proposed document with you and propose revisions in your best interest.
posted on August 24, 2016 by
