There’s a lot to do to prepare for marriage. You have to write your vows and prepare for the big wedding day. And, you have to go to the courthouse, before or after the wedding, to officialize the union between you and your beloved.
However, you should also consider taking the right legal precautions to ensure your assets are protected in case there’s a divorce. In other words, you may want to make a prenuptial agreement. What is a prenup? Here’s what you should know:
A prenup is a contract that addresses what happens if the marriage fails
A prenup is a legal contract between you and your spouse that’s made before marriage that simplifies the divorce process and asset distribution. In this contract, you and your spouse discuss what assets are distributed to whom if there’s a divorce.
For example, your prenup can address concerns like alimony. Alimony is financial support from one spouse to the other that allows them to continue their quality of life. Typically, alimony is allotted to a spouse who makes significantly less income or is a stay-at-home parent with no separate income at all.
You can always revise prenuptial agreements in the future using a postnup
You should understand that a prenup is made before marriage and can’t be made afterward. For people who want to make alterations to their prenup or never had the chance to make one, this can seem like a missed opportunity to make a prenup. However, couples can make a postnuptial agreement, a legal document that works much like a prenup.
A postnup is made after marriage and can be used to amend agreements in a prenup. Additionally, if you never made a prenup, you can make a postnup to rectify that mistake. They’re frequently created, for example, when one spouse creates a new business.
Prenups and postnups are beneficial for people who want to secure assets, such as inheritance, a business or prize money. If you’re still unsure if you should make a prenup or postnup, then you should understand your legal options.