Attorney At Law
…To keep up, wedding singers are booking three ceremonies a day. Venues are scheduling receptions every day of the week, including Mondays. And attorneys are working overtime to hammer out prenuptial agreements.
However, if you approach a Prenuptial Agreement as a way to discuss your future financial life with your soon-to-be spouse this can help you start your married life with some basic agreements about your finances.
The process of discussing the contents of a DC Prenuptial Agreement will help you to discuss issues you may not have thought about, which can lead to less friction over finances throughout your marriage.
I touch on topics such as DC Uncontested Divorce, DC Contested Divorce, DC Prenuptial Agreements, and an assortment of other issues, including information about documents to have in place before you marry.
There is also a discussion about having a Prenuptial Agreement in place so you can work out how you will deal with your family finances once you are married. In addition, the interviewer suggested that it is best to speak with a family lawyer/divorce attorney so you know what your rights are and what documents you should have.
When you decide to live with someone, it is important to think about the issues that may come up if you decide to end your relationship. In the District of Columbia, when you live with someone, your relationship can become a common law marriage and you can be considered legally married, even if you do not intend to enter into a marriage.
A DC Cohabitation Agreement can specifically state that you do not intend that your relationship be considered a marriage with all the rights that go along with a marriage, such as support, etc. In addition, you may own property separately or purchase property together with your partner and if you decide that your living situation is not working out, this can lead to disputes that can be difficult and costly to settle.
A Cohabitation Agreement or a Living Together Agreement is a contract that sets guidelines for how your property will be divided if you separate. It defines your rights as a couple. It can also expressly state that you have no intention of marrying or if you decide to marry that you will sign a Prenuptial Agreement or just void your Cohabitation Agreement. A Cohabitation Agreement can protect your separate property and income and can protect you from your partner’s debts.
Whether you call it a Prenuptial Agreement, a Prenup, or a Premarital Agreement, it is a contract between you and your future spouse that determines your financial rights and obligations if your marriage ends as a result of divorce or death.
Talking about a Prenuptial Agreement helps you and your fiancé openly discuss how you and your fiancé will handle your finances during your marriage.
It is best to discuss these issues as far in advance of your wedding as possible. You do not want to be talking about who pays for what and who will have ownership of which bank account when it is time to be talking about the menu for your wedding day.
If you decide that it is too close to your wedding date to start the conversation about a Prenuptial Agreement, you can wait and agree to work on a Postnuptial Agreement. It is a similar document that is signed after you are married.
It is best to understand what a Prenuptial Agreement is in order to see that it is best to have the advice of a family lawyer to assist you.
A Prenuptial Agreement is a contract between you and your future spouse that determines your financial rights and obligations if your marriage ends as a result of divorce or death. It is also a useful tool for creating a financial plan to use during your marriage.
You can make agreements regarding how to handle your finances during your marriage and create peace of mind for each of you so you can avoid disputes.
Every situation is unique and it is best to have an experienced legal advisor to help you though the process.
Whether or not to have a Prenuptial Agreement, commonly called a Prenup, is an individual decision. Sometimes people tell me their parents have asked them to have one prepared because they will be receiving a sizable inheritance one day and want it to be protected. What is clear is that a Prenuptial Agreement is not just for wealthy people or people with children from a previous marriage who are marrying again. It is commonly being used by young people getting married for the first time. If your marriage does end, having a Prenuptial Agreement will help to reduce the emotional and financial strain of a divorce.
There are many reasons why you may want to have a Prenuptial Agreement.
There are many other reasons you may want to consider a Prenuptial Agreement.
Can we make an agreement that everything that we own separately will remain our separate property?
The answer is Yes. In prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, many people base the division of property on how property is titled.
Many people call and tell me that they will be inheriting money or other property and want to protect it in the event they get divorced.
Usually inherited money or property is considered separate property and is not divided if you separate and/or divorce. However, many times a person who inherits money or property puts that money into a new home or other property bought during the marriage.
The information below will give you some basics about what is included in a prenuptial agreement.
A Prenuptial Agreement in DC or Premarital Agreement, sometimes called a “Prenup” is an agreement entered into before you marry.
It is an agreement in which you and your fiancé can set forth what will happen to your separate assets and debts and your joint (marital) assets and debts, in the event your marriage ends, either in divorce or death. It is a contract that cannot be forced upon your future spouse or signed under duress.
Your fiancé must have adequate time to review the agreement and consult a Washington, DC family law attorney to be sure the provisions are understood.