The general wisdom seems to be that, if you bring property into a marriage, you should protect it with a prenuptial agreement – or, even, by not getting married at all. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me this. That’s why it’s always a very good idea to talk to an...
Pre-Marital Property in Virginia
Prenuptial agreements aren’t a whole lot of fun. In almost every case I’ve ever seen, one party has the other party completely over a barrel, and it diminishes any amount of bargaining power that she might have otherwise had. But, then again, that’s the point, isn’t it? There’d be no real need for a prenuptial...
Women frequently bring us in already drafted agreements for our review and comment. Usually, a drafted agreement – whether it’s a prenuptial agreement, a marital agreement, or a separation agreement – includes some sort of language that says there’s been a full and frank disclosure of the assets and liabilities, and also that each party...
Prenuptial agreements are pretty commonly misunderstood. I often hear that someone should may consider a prenup if they had substantial assets before the marriage that they wanted to protect. Under Virginia law, though, property that you earned or owned prior to marriage is already separate – it’s already yours, it stays yours, and it doesn’t...
Prenuptial agreements kind of stink. In fact, I really don’t like them. In my experience, they aren’t good news for the women that I represent and are really used against them at a time when they are the most vulnerable. When you’re happy (you’re about to be a bride!), it’s hard to think about the...
Let me just say this: prenuptial agreements aren’t all that common. And, if your soon to be husband has presented you with one, you have three options: 1. Sign it as is, and hope for the best. (Generally not recommended.) 2. Don’t sign it. Walk away, and hope he’ll marry you anyway—but with full knowledge...
If you’re headed towards your happily ever after and suddenly your fiancé starts talking to you about prenuptial agreements, you’re probably feeling concerned. Whatever happened to the “what’s mine is yours” philosophy? Isn’t that what marriage is about? Marriage is about a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Prenuptial agreements are...