Not that long ago, prenuptial agreements were primarily used by people who were already wealthy or famous at the time of their engagement. Those looking to protect their assets or their reputations might require that their fiance sign an agreement prior to the marriage.
These days, prenups have become part of many American marriages. Many younger couples choose to negotiate a prenup even though they may just be a standard middle-class family in the making. Why have they become more popular?
Prenuptial agreements are now seen as a common-sense solution
Some people will say that signing an agreement about what happens if you get divorced before you get married is like planning to fail. Other people will look at it like taking out insurance. No one expects that their house will burn down, but they still have a policy that will pay to rebuild their home if a fire does occur.
Likewise, but you go into a marriage expecting it to last for the rest of your life, but it’s good to protect yourself in case that doesn’t happen. Many people now signing prenups witnessed their parents’ divorce as children and want to avoid the same mistakes. They want to protect certain assets for themselves or just set the stage for an amicable divorce.
A prenup won’t make much difference if you stay married, although the conversations it can initiate about goals and financial priorities are important to have. It can remove a lot of the acrimony and expense involved in a divorce if your marriage doesn’t last. Realizing that a prenuptial agreement could help you set your marriage up for success could help you talk about creating one with your fiance.
