Dear Carolyn,
My daughter is getting married next year. We have family business and my daughter works in the business. Is a premarital agreement appropriate for her, even though she is only 25? When should she bring this up with her fiancé?
Carolyn Answers…
Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Before you know it, he’s down on one knee with an expensive diamond ring in his hand. With Valentines Day quickly approaching, it is a scene that is sure to play out all across the Triad. But what happens when the relationship ends before the wedding bells have even had a chance to ring? When instead of meeting with a wedding planner, the couple is turning to a family law attorney for advice? Continue reading →
The previous two posts on premarital agreements have addressed future spouses who are considering signing a premarital agreement. The final two posts in this series will address the future spouses’ parents.
In particular, this post is directed at parents who have worked hard enough, and been fortunate enough, to accumulate significant property. You desire, naturally enough, to leave that property to your children. But you do not want that property to pass to your children’s spouses. How can this goal be accomplished? Continue reading →
A premarital agreement, of course, requires the consent of both future spouses. Sometimes future spouses will disagree about whether to sign a premarital agreement. The last post in this series considered this situation by addressing the spouse who wants an agreement. This post will consider the situation by addressing the spouse who does not want the agreement. Continue reading →
The first few posts in this series discussed when prospective spouses should sign a premarital agreement. Simply stated, a premarital agreement should be signed when both parties want to apply different rules to divide their property and award support after the marriage than the law would otherwise provide. Continue reading →
Previous posts regarding prenuptial agreements have discussed the validity of premarital agreements in very general terms, focusing on the broad concepts of procedural and substantive unfairness. Procedural unfairness creates a very real risk that the agreement might not be enforced. Substantive unfairness is not so important, but it can create risk when the unfairness is extreme, or when the procedural fairness of the agreement is a close question. Continue reading →
Previously, we highlighted the risks of asking a future spouse to sign a substantively unfair agreement. These risks are not triggered merely because the terms of the agreement are not exactly equal. Rather, substantive unfairness is present only when the agreement passes some minimum threshold of inequality. Continue reading →
Our last premarital agreement post discussed the fairness of the procedures used when a premarital agreement was signed. This post will discuss the substantive fairness of the agreement itself. Continue reading →
Previously, we have discussed judicial attitudes toward premarital agreements. In short, premarital agreements are favored by modern law, but only when they were signed using procedures that the court sees as fair. Continue reading →
Previous posts regarding premarital agreements have discussed what a premarital agreement is, and why an engaged couple might want to sign one. Simply summarized, a premarital agreement is a good idea when both parties want to change the rules of law that would otherwise apply when their marriage terminates upon divorce or death. Continue reading →
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