Lots of North Carolina couples think of prenuptial agreements as a matter only for the extremely wealthy or very famous. However, there are many other reasons why people considering marriage may want to create a prenup before tying the knot. Prenuptial agreements are becoming more common for many different types of couples. In one survey, 60 percent of matrimonial lawyers said that they had seen a notable increase in the number of people asking about prenups in the past three years. A prenuptial agreement could be used to protect family inheritances or property passed down through generations, but it can also be used to benefit entrepreneurs with promising businesses.
As people now tend to marry at older ages than in the past, many newlyweds have already developed successful careers. An entrepreneur may want to develop a prenup before they marry in order to specify clearly how the business will be handled in case of a divorce. Even when the bride or groom is certain that divorce is not in the future, business partners or equity investors may have a different opinion. They may require partners to secure a prenup regarding the business before financing the company.
While many people think of a prenup as a way to protect the wealthier partner, both parties should be addressed in a prenuptial agreement. A partner who plans to be a stay-at-home parent or move for the other spouse’s career may want to make sure that they will be supported in a transitional period in case the marriage ends in divorce.
In order to negotiate a fair prenup, each party should be independently represented by a family law attorney. A lawyer can help a spouse-to-be draft a prenup and negotiate terms that protect both parties’ interests for the future.