Updated December 3, 2023
Most people know that prenups allow future spouses to decide what will happen to their finances should they decide down the road to divorce. But there are some critical things that prenuptial agreements do that most people don’t know.
But before we get started, we want to make sure you know right up front that even though we are divorce lawyers at Freed Marcroft, this isn’t an article about the ins and outs of the legal issues involved in prenups.
This is an article about why prenups strengthen relationships. You read that right.
Without a Prenup, You’re Opting into the Default for Alimony and Property Division
Most engaged couples don’t know that if you don’t have a prenup, you are opting into the default way alimony and property division work in Connecticut. Frankly, most people don’t even know what that default is unless and until they get divorced. In other words, most people get married without really understanding what they are vowing to.
Doing a prenup with us means you will understand how divorce works before you get married. And, you and your fiancé get to decide what about the default you want to keep and what you want to toss out and do differently.
For more on the technical piece of what a prenup can accomplish.
Read: Do Prenups Work?
Prenups Foster Real, Candid, Conversations about Money and Marriage
And those discussions bring us to the second thing I want to make sure you know about how a prenup can set you up for a happy marriage. Prenups allow the two of you to have real, candid, important conversations about how you both feel about money and marriage. Your money habits, goals, and anxieties. We all have beliefs about money so hard-wired into us during childhood that we forget they are just perspectives, not facts. A prenup helps you learn about yourself and your spouse and then make a plan together.
Read: Can You Get a Prenup After Marriage?
Difficult Conversations Before Marriage Avoid Divorce
And that leads to, by far, the most important thing I want you to know. Prenups don’t just help you have a smoother divorce – they help you avoid it in the first place. Having a truly honest conversation about something as sensitive as money is hard, and frankly, most people avoid it until it’s a big problem. Having the difficult money conversation now gives you a strong foundation for all the many difficult conversations you’ll need to have throughout your marriage. As divorce lawyers, we know that people with prenups – people who aren’t afraid to have difficult conversations with their spouse, people who are willing to be truthful even when it may rock the boat – are much less likely to wind up as our divorce clients.
Read: Prenup vs Postnup
Next Steps
To start making a plan for your prenup and setting up a strong foundation for your marriage, reach out. Our first step at Freed Marcroft, the Goals & Planning Conference, is designed to unveil your true goals. We analyze those goals and present you with recommendations and options to move forward.
