What is a Prenuptial Agreement?
Family lawyers and analysts have confirmed that more couples than ever are requesting prenuptial agreements before getting married. Millennials have made prenups the latest wedding trend, and many progressive couples have made considering a prenuptial agreement an essential item on their wedding planning checklist.
Smart couples are asking: What is a prenuptial agreement?
Here is a simple definition of a prenuptial agreement, sometimes called a premarital agreement:
A prenuptial agreement is a written contract that a couple makes before marriage. The purpose of a prenuptial agreement is to set the rules by which a married couple operates should they ever separate and/or divorce down the road.
To a large degree, the standard prenuptial agreement allows a couple to control their fates in the event of a marital disaster, rather than scrambling to figure out and protect their rights under the default divorce laws of their state.
The many pros of a prenup include the ability to:
1. Keep property owned before the marriage separate during the marriage.
2. Establish alimony terms and avoid a nasty court fight if you divorce.
3. Control how your property is distributed upon your death.
4. Avoid the pre-marriage debts of your spouse.
5. Give you peace of mind that you are protected so that you can walk down the aisle with confidence.
What to Know About Prenuptial Agreements:
Prenup Forms come in all shapes and sizes.
You can find standard prenuptial agreement forms online, and there are guides on how to write a prenuptial agreement.
But Beware:
In the Real World, there is not a “one size fits all” standard prenuptial template that will work for every couple.
The terms of a prenuptial agreement are very personal.
Every couple getting married is unique.
Everyone has different goals and needs that can’t be squeezed into a standard prenuptial agreement template.
Examples of Prenup Terms
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Some people want to keep the property they had prior to the marriage as separate property, unless they decide to donate it to the marriage.This happens all the time, like when a couple opens a marital checking account and deposit their separate income to pay for their everyday living expenses.
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Some couples want to agree to a maximum amount of alimony in the event of a divorce. For example, they might agree that either spouse can receive up to $70,000 of alimony if needed at the time of divorce.
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Other couples decide to keep their finances separate throughout the marriage and agree to no alimony at all.
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If you have children from a prior marriage, your premarital agreement needs to plan around them.
A prenuptial agreement is the most important contract a couple about to marry can have, so trying to adapt a free printable online prenuptial agreement form or prenup sample without the assistance of a competent prenuptial lawyer is certainly cheap, but risky for most people.
Rather than try to figure it out with a prenup template, schedule a free call with a Prenup Pros attorney today and find out more about prenuptial agreements. All calls are strictly confidential, and there is no obligation to hire our firm.
WHAT ABOUT ALIMONY?
A premarital agreement can be drafted to provide for a minimum amount of alimony to be paid to either spouse in the event of a divorce, in whatever amount and for how long a marrying couple agrees. When a couple can agree on alimony terms in their prenuptial agreement, they can get married with peace of mind and confidence because they made a fair deal in advance—just in case things don’t go as planned.
ABOUT US
We are marital agreement attorneys. That means Prenup Pros® only offers prenuptial agreement and postnuptial agreement counseling and legal services.
Our attorneys provide affordable prenuptial agreement services to clients who live or are moving to or are getting married in:
Florida | Maryland | New York | New Jersey | Virginia
More States coming soon!
WHY DO WE DO PRENUPS?
At Prenup Pros, we believe that every couple planning to marry should at least consider entering into a premarital agreement. The true purpose of every prenuptial agreement is to clearly state what essential marital rights each spouse has in the event of a divorce (excluding rights relating to kids).
A well-drafted and legally enforceable prenuptial agreement can eliminate conflict in a divorce because most of the rights and decisions that cause couples to fight are already decided. If prepared correctly, a premarital agreement should increase the chance that a divorcing couple can avoid a trial and keep things friendly.
We know that the prospect of entering into a prenuptial agreement is a serious subject for marrying couples, so every professional at Prenup Pros® is a Certified Premarital Counselor who can answer the premarital counseling and legal questions that arise when couples consider entering into a marriage prenup.
We use our experience and knowledge of the law to help our clients figure out if a premarital agreement is right for them. The counselors at Prenup Pros® are committed to the pursuit of excellence in the preparation of premarital agreements and total client satisfaction.
OUR SERVICES
FLAT-FEE PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT PACKAGE
People often ask: Do I need a lawyer for a prenup? We cannot answer that question for you, but would you know how to write your own wedding insurance policy if you tried? Probably not. Legal contracts can be complicated and challenging to do the right way.
We can say with confidence that the prenups drafted by our prenuptial attorneys can provide additional security for the life of your marriage. Your prenuptial agreement lawyer will guide you through the process and craft a customized premarital agreement that will work for you and your spouse. Our flat-fee package is the perfect option for couples who have a limited budget.
PRENUP COST - $1,395.00
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
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PRENUP PLANNING CONSULTATION. Your attorney will schedule a call with you to explore the terms to include in your prenup that will best fit your needs, and answer any questions you may have. This conversation is a critical part of the process because your input is what allows us to draft a custom agreement for your specific situation.
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FAST TURNAROUND. Your draft will be completed and sent to you for review within five (5) business days after we get all of the information we need to prepare your customized premarital agreement.
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PRENUP REVIEW CONSULTATION. After you and your fiancé have had the opportunity to read and discuss your prenuptial agreement, you will schedule a follow-up call with your attorney. During this call your attorney will answer any questions, make sure you understand the document, and discuss any changes that may be needed.
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PRIVACY. The information you share and everything you discuss with your attorney is protected by the attorney-client privilege.
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A CUSTOMIZED, READY-TO-SIGN PRENUP. Your attorney will make any changes needed to finalize your prenuptial agreement based on the follow-up call, and send it to you for signature.
Many clients choose to waive the confidentiality privilege to allow their fiancé to participate in the initial call and/or the prenup review consultation, to provide complete transparency throughout the prenup preparation process.
If your fiancé is not represented by an attorney and you want to involve him/her in the prenup planning and drafting process, your fiancé is welcome to join in any of our discussions and ask questions. However, we can only provide actual legal advice to the party to the marriage who is our client.
ADDITIONAL PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT SERVICES
Prenup Pros® is a premarital agreement law firm that offers clients comprehensive legal support above and beyond our popular Flat-Fee Prenuptial Agreement Package.
Our Flat-Fee Prenuptial Agreement Package does not include negotiation with your fiancé’s attorney, because there is simply no way to tell how many hours and drafts it might take during the course of negotiating a final version.
If your fiancé has hired a lawyer to prepare, review and/or negotiate your prenup, then you will most likely need to engage Prenup Pros to provide some services on an hourly, or “blended” fee basis.
PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT REVIEW & ADVISEMENT
Perhaps you or your fiancé’s attorney prepared a draft prenuptial agreement, and you want reliable legal advice about its terms. If you have a prenuptial agreement already prepared, the attorneys at Prenup Pros can offer expertise in reviewing the contract and providing you feedback and suggestions, or just answering your questions and helping you understand the document.
In a nutshell, the cost varies. We generally provide support for prenups that are not drafted by our firm on an hourly basis at extremely competitive rates, but we try to offer flat-fee quotes to clients whenever possible.
No two prenuptial contracts are exactly alike. Many factors can affect the total cost of attorney fees incurred in getting a suitable premarital agreement, including the complexity of the terms desired by the parties, the level of conflict between the parties, the (un)reasonableness of the opposing attorney, and the individual needs of each couple.
Prenup Pros® is committed to providing World-class prenuptial agreement legal services at the absolute best rates we can offer.
POSTNUPTIAL AGREEMENTS
Did your wedding date arrive before you had a chance to get a prenup? If so, you can still get a post-nuptial agreement, which is a marital contract a couple signs after getting married. Postnuptial agreements can offer the same kinds of terms and protections that a prenuptial agreement can provide, if drafted properly.
PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT NEGOTIATION
Will your fiancé be represented by independent legal counsel? If so, our prenuptial agreement attorneys can help protect your interests when negotiating the terms of your prenup with your fiancé’s attorney, without breaking the bank.
