Once you decide to tie the knot, it’s your hope that you remain married to your spouse for the rest of your life. However, even if this is your intention, you shouldn’t neglect to plan for the future.
And that’s where a prenuptial agreement comes into play. While these are most common among high net worth individuals, anyone who is getting married can take advantage.
Here are the steps you can take to ask for a prenuptial agreement without harming your relationship:
- Leave yourself time: You’ll need plenty of time to discuss the creation of a prenuptial agreement, as well as the details to include. This is even more so the case if you and/or your ex have high-value assets.
- Take turns talking: A prenuptial agreement isn’t something one person creates and the other person agrees to. It’s critical to take turns discussing the arrangement, asking questions and answering questions. If you’re doing a lot of preaching and not a lot of listening, it will likely drive your partner away.
- Talk about the benefits: Make it clear that a prenuptial agreement is beneficial to the both of you. If you can’t find any benefits, it may not be the right decision for you as a couple. But chances are that you’ll be able to list several reasons to create an agreement.
- Work in small chunks: It would be ideal to sit down and hash out all the details of a prenuptial agreement in one conversation, but don’t count on this happening. You should work in small chunks, which means tackling pieces of the overall conversation as time allows. This is why it’s important to start talking about a prenuptial agreement far in advance of your wedding day.
If you don’t get around to creating a prenuptial agreement, regardless of the reason, you can still protect yourself with a postnuptial agreement. It’s the same premise, with the primary difference being that you create the document after you get married.
It’s critical that you ask for a prenuptial agreement without harming your relationship, as you don’t want to start off on the wrong foot. Knowing the benefits, your legal rights and the process will help put you on the right track.