Good Prenups Take Thought and Time

Probably the first question individuals ask about premarital arrangements (also called prenuptial agreements, or “prenups”), is “when should we begin planning?” I’m sure you already predict the answer: start planning as early as possible.

There are two major reasons to get started negotiating your premarital agreement early. First, if it ever comes to enforcement, courts wish to see that all the parties included had a lot of time to consider what they were getting into, and that they got into it voluntarily. That indicates no finalizing on your wedding day. When California courts revoke prenups, they commonly doing this since one party either didn’t know just what they were entering (for instance, they didn’t have an attorney), or they signed the contract under unfair pressure– for instance, they didn’t have sufficient time to completely consider the agreement. Offer your fiancé sufficient time to completely go over the contract with his lawyer, and you prevent both of these troubles.

Second, permitting for plenty of time is the more graceful strategy to a challenging subject. A prenup could make your marriage stronger if you approach it gently. This suggests not dumping the concept on your fiancé two weeks prior to the wedding. There is no better method to frighten your fiancé than requiring they sign a contract when the invites have actually already gone out.

Imagine: grandma has actually currently reserved her ticket, the cake is baked, and the dress is just back from the tailor. You get back one night, and drop a prenup in his lap. What do you envision is going to occur? It’s not pretty– that’s not the kind of pressure to put on your future partner. Trust me, offer him time. Bring the topic up gradually. Discuss it in terms of just what’s reasonable and supports your relationship. You’re getting in a life-long collaboration right here. Treat it respectfully.

A good California prenup attorney can direct you around all these concerns. Some attorneys can even compose a record in simply a few days, but that’s not a circumstance you wish to find yourself in. The longer you wait to obtain begun, the weaker your contract will likely be. Make the effort and do it right.