How Young Couples Can Benefit from Prenuptial Agreements

Chances are, you are not going to propose to someone, or accept a proposal if you have any doubts about having a successful, lifelong marriage, but modern divorce rates suggest that not all marriages last for the long haul. You may think that you do not need a prenuptial agreement because your relationship is strong, or because you two have only minimal assets, but there are many arguments for creating one, even if both of these assertions hold true.

If you are marrying at a young age, you may want to consider creating a prenuptial agreement to:

Prevent future financial hardship

Often, one party within a couple has existing debts coming into the marriage, and while such debts typically constitute separate property, you and your partner generally must share any debts accrued during the marriage. For example, say your spouse takes out thousands of dollars in student loans after the two of you tie the knot. Should your marriage end, you are on the hook for the loan as much as your spouse, unless you have a prenuptial agreement in place that says otherwise.

Protect your reputation

While, again, you probably will not marry someone you do not plan to spend the rest of your life with, the fact that “social media clauses” are becoming increasingly popular gives you an idea of the efforts some people are taking to protect themselves. If you have an established business, or if you, for example, have political aspirations, you may want to add language to your prenup that prevents your spouse from bad mouthing you online or otherwise, should your marriage take a turn for the worse.

These are just some of the reasons many young people are giving careful consideration to creating a prenuptial agreement. Did you already tie the knot? A postnuptial agreement may be able to accomplish many of the same things as a prenuptial agreement, and you can also create one to reflect changes in your life, whether they be more children, an increase in assets or what have you.