How to Suggest a Prenuptial Agreement to Your Partner
Getting ready for marriage is an emotional rollercoaster; it will be thrilling, but also stressful to make all the necessary arrangements. This is also an important time to have a big conversation with your partner about both of your finances. Many couples don’t want to think about the prospects of divorce, but it’s important to consider what would happen to your individual assets if you were to separate. Prenuptial agreements will help protect your assets and interests in the event of a divorce, but how do you bring this up to your partner without them getting offended?
Keep it professional: Don’t start this conversation with “what if we get a divorce?” That will lead to one or both parties emotionally discussing this, which might not give either of you clear or helpful answers. Instead, keep it professional by talking about each element of the agreement separately. This could include: income amounts each partner has made before marriage, division of property gained during the marriage, retirement plans, and how you would handle spousal support.
Make sure you can afford one: In order to justify having a prenuptial agreement between you and your partner, you need to make sure that you can afford one. Prenups can cost between $10K to $15K, so it’s important to ensure that you both are taking the agreement seriously and you can both financially carry it out.
Try not to be defensive: Don’t make the common mistake many people make with prenuptials: being financially defensive. If one of the parties in the agreement is making more money than the other party, they might want their assets to stay “their assets” because they are technically worth more. Beginning the process of this agreement with discrediting how much your partner makes will just make the process harder as you continue. Be respectful of each other’s financial situation, and work together to compromise.
If you and your partner are interested in setting up a prenuptial agreement before your marriage, the San Diego, California prenuptial agreement attorneys can help you negotiate your needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.