Article Sphere Logo
Legal Article

What Is A Prenuptial Agreement - And Who Needs One?

By Expert Author: Melissa Gordon
Word Count: 537 words | Views: 3069 view(s)
A prenuptial agreement is essentially a legally binding agreement made before a couple gets married or enters into a civil partnership. The agreement deals with what should happen to assets of the couple in the event of divorce, though various additions can also be made including provisions and recommendations for alimony and the division of property. Prenuptial contracts often go by alternate names, such as ante nuptial agreements or premarital agreements; however, the usage is the same.

The popularity of prenuptial agreements has increased since the turn of the 21st century, though they were not unheard of before then. This is attributed by lawyers to an increase in media coverage of high profile divorces, which often sees as exceedingly wealthy individual divorcing someone of lesser means – and being forced to sacrifice up to half of their fortune.

A prenuptial agreement is recognized by all 50 states of the America, though they are not always followed verbatim. Often, discretion is required in cases where wealth and income has increased – or significantly decreased – between the time of the agreement and the time of the divorce. A prenuptial agreement can be appealed against if the party that stands to lose out is unhappy, though just cause must be given for doing so. American courts tend to uphold and recognize prenuptial agreements as they are, but it is worth remembering that these agreements are not a final line. It is possible for either party to challenge a prenuptial. Recently, Stephen Spielberg's wife did just that during their high profile (and acrimonious) divorce. She was successful in this attempt, and walked away with a settlement of over $50 million.

The vast majority of legal experts recommend that a prenuptial agreement take place if one or both parties entering into the marriage are sufficiently wealthy or have prior property and assets. Another good reason for a prenuptial is if the woman of the partnership is to leave work so as to raise the couple’s children; in the event of divorce, she may be left with a long fight for alimony without a prenuptial agreement to ensure continued support until the child is 18. Some couples prefer to agree that the wife should return to work if the marriage dissolves, while others agree on a continued support payment system until the child or children are of age. These are differing issues that are resolved in prenuptials.

The whole point of a prenuptial is to resolve difficult issues during good times, as inevitably with a divorce comes recriminations and issues become all the more important. Prenuptials are designed to allow couples, honestly and rationality, to set a provision for the future when they are not also trying to deal with the issues presented by a difficult divorce case. In situations of adultery, a prenuptial agreement becomes all the more important, as fur is far more likely to fly in these cases.

No one who is about to be married wants to talk about the possibility of divorce, but solving these matters in the present could help prevent great distress and upset in the future.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
Melissa Gordon

About the Author:

LegalBuffet.com is a complete online resource that compares the legal services offered by various online companies. Find the best company for your prenup needs at http://legalbuffet.com/divorce-premarital-name-change/prenuptial-agreements/.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/What-Is-A-Prenuptial-Agreement---And-Who-Needs-One-/187093

 This Article has been viewed 3069 times.
  

Related Videos



 

Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Legal" article category.

People interested in the above article "What Is A Prenuptial Agreement - And Who Needs One?" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
There are millions of people each and every day that enjoy the process of unwinding and having a relaxing drink at any point in time. This is often a process that many people find harmless and fun natured to an extent while many become somewhat out of control or lost in the moment and become inebriated in varied degree and severity.
If you suspect that your soon-to-be ex might be hiding assets, income and/or fabricating debt in order to minimize child support and/or alimony payments, you should conduct an asset search at the very onset of your divorce action or, if you can, prior to even filing for a divorce.
If you've ever recovered from a disabling injury, you know that life changes and so does your perspective. If you're currently injured and on the road to recovery, you're going to have to be a fighter. Don't lose hope and never give up, there's still life for you to live.
Recovering the compensation demanded is the main job of the lawyer who is handling a case of slip and fall. Fresno residents must be careful while selecting their personal injury lawyer. They must make sure that he can represent the case aggressively and successfully recover the compensation.
A patent is a legal form to give security to your trademark. The patent application is a term of filling the form of patent registration. For defend your trademark, you must have to register your trademark. Here you can find the data about trademark application and trademark litigation also.
At Commonwealth Advisory Group, we are experts in interpreting and implementing Medicare and MA Medicaid regulations. The Medicaid application is lengthy and cumbersome. Most people are unfamiliar with MA medicaid massachusetts eligibility regulations and the recent regulatory changes associated with them. We'll help you with all of the steps and paperwork. Protecting your assets is complicated, but we help make it simple.
People are convicted from time to time for illicit actions starting from possessing a fake ID to a murder. However in all such cases, the ones that end up behind bars are those who failed to prove their innocence. Cases lacking such proof of innocence either would have not given proper circumstantial evidences or would have approached an inexperienced lawyer. The circumstances are severe when the latter happens.
Article Directory Home All Categories Legal What Is A Prenuptial Agreement - And Who Needs One?
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.