How To Open A Conversation About Prenuptial Agreements In Florida
If you will be making a trip down the aisle any time soon, some figures regarding divorce will certainly be encouraging. According to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), divorces have been steadily falling in the US in recent years, hitting a record low in 2019. For every 1,000 couples who married that year, just 14.9 went through dissolution of marriage proceedings – the lowest in more than 50 years, including the 1970’s rate of 15 divorces per 1,000 marriages. Plus, from 2010 to 2019, the duration of current marriages increased by one year.
These numbers are welcome news for couples getting hitched, but you must also be prepared for the unexpected. An effective way to protect your interests is to execute a prenuptial agreement that covers many of the issues you would address in divorce. However, one of the key obstacles is raising the topic with your partner, since an unfortunately negative reputation surrounds prenups. Your Dade City family lawyer can handle the legal tasks, but here are a few tips on how to open a conversation about prenuptial agreements.
- Do NOT wait until the night before the wedding. This first recommendation is an obvious one, since you would certainly not want to be caught off guard in such a way. The best time to initiate the conversation is shortly after you become engaged, and you can even make it part of your wedding plan To-Do list. You can have a more relaxed, honest discussion when not under time constraints.
- Make the process a mutual effort. Prenups are often viewed negatively because the proponent partner prepares the agreement in advance and presents it to the other – a very one-sided strategy that puts one person on the defensive. Instead of doing things separately, sit down together to craft your prenuptial agreement. Start by itemizing the topics, and then move on to a discussion of goals with respect to each one.
- Identify and explain your objectives. When you work together to create a prenup, you are able to describe the provisions you want to include and what you seek with respect to divorce-related issues. When you suggest a sensitive term, you need to be ready to explain your reasoning behind it. You must also be willing to listen to your partner’s position on topics that might make you uncomfortable.
- Plan to be flexible. Your personal circumstances and role in the marital relationship will change over time, so make sure your prenuptial agreement includes language that can adapt to new realities. Perhaps you did not expect to forego employment or business opportunities to raise children, or your spouse is more involved with the company you founded together. You can tackle these factors more effectively and efficiently when your prenup is flexible enough to adjust.
Get Help from a Florida Prenuptial Agreement Attorney
If you would like information on the advantages and legal issues involved with prenups, please contact The Law Office of Laurie R. Chane at 352-567-0055 or via our website. We can schedule a consultation to review your circumstances and discuss options.
Resource:
ifstudies.org/blog/the-us-divorce-rate-has-hit-a-50-year-low
