As societal trends evolve, each new generation has its own views and priorities regarding marriage. Millennials, who currently range in age from their mid-twenties to late-thirties, are at a point in their lives when marriage is common, but their approaches to marriage, and often, their approaches to prenuptial agreements, reveal different needs from the generations that came before them.

What Should Millennial Couples Include in a Prenuptial Agreement?

Not every marriage requires a prenuptial agreement, but if you are a Millennial preparing for marriage, you may want to consider an agreement that addresses the following issues:

• Protection of assets: According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials on average marry for the first time three years later than Generation X and four years later than Baby Boomers. By the time you get married, you may already be established in your career and have significant assets in your name, and a prenuptial agreement can help you define and protect those assets in the event of a divorce in the future.
• Student loan debt: Many Millennials have tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, which may be a major factor in their financial situation when they prepare to enter a marriage. If one or both partners have significant debt, you may wish to account for it in your prenuptial agreement to ensure that you will not be responsible for your partner’s debt during your marriage or after a potential divorce.
• Pet custody: Millennials currently comprise the largest share of pet owners in the United States, and many consider pets to be a member of the family. You may be entering your marriage with a pet of your own, or you may have adopted a pet with your partner before your marriage. In either case, your prenuptial agreement can address who has rights to your pet if you get a divorce.

Many Millennials also choose to cohabit with a romantic partner before getting married, which sometimes involves the sharing of assets and financial responsibilities. You may find it beneficial to establish a cohabitation agreement that addresses what happens if the relationship ends.

While a prenuptial agreement may not seem like the most romantic wedding gift, it is likely one of the most valuable. That is because it does not just protect you in the instance of divorce; it can also set the financial tone for your marriage and reduce the risk of arguments over money. With years of experience assisting engaged couples with their prenuptial agreements, our legal professionals have compiled a list of ten considerations to think about before signing your prenup.

Consider This

1. More Than Just Money: Prenuptial agreements are not just for the rich and famous. Many couples, particularly millennials, use them to protect their intellectual rights to ideas, inventions, and artistic creations. Of course, not all ideas prove to be lucrative, but the point is that a prenuptial agreement protects your rights to these intangible assets (and any proceeds that may come from them).
2. Timing is Everything: To effectively protect your assets in the event of a divorce, you will want to sign the prenuptial agreement sooner, rather than later. Sign too close to your wedding date and your spouse could have an argument for signing under duress, which would nullify the details of your prenup.
3. You Need Your Own Counsel: Engaged couples often assume they can use the same attorney when drafting their prenup, but this is not the most beneficial for either you or your spouse. Just as you would have separate lawyers protecting your interests in a divorce, you should have your own attorney there to safeguard those same interests in your prenup.
4. Premarital Assets Are Usually Off-Limits: When drafting a prenup, recognize that premarital assets are generally considered off-limits. In an Illinois divorce, premarital assets will be given back to the spouse who brought them into the marriage.
5. Children Are Excluded: You cannot define parameters for children in a prenuptial agreement. The state requires all decisions regarding parenting plans and child support designations to be made in the best interests of the child at the time of the divorce, not at the time of the prenup.
6. You Can Include Alimony Provisions: If alimony may be an issue in a potential divorce, you can address it in your prenuptial agreement. This can ensure that the receiving spouse is provided for, but that the amount awarded does not exceed what the payor can handle. You can also waive or exclude alimony in your prenuptial agreement, should that be the path you feel is most appropriate.
7. ’Til Death Do You Part: Prenuptial agreements can even address sole-owned assets in the event of a death. Provisions may be set aside for other family members as well as the spouse.
8. Honesty is the Best Policy: Be sure to provide full financial disclosure when drafting your prenuptial agreement. Failure to do so could cause it to be overturned in a divorce. Worse yet, you may be penalized for attempting to hide assets.
9. Fairness is Important: In a divorce, marital assets are divided equitably—or fairly. Your prenuptial agreement should mirror this “fair” standpoint. Otherwise, it could be overthrown during your divorce.
10. Fair Is Not the Same for Everyone: The term “fair” is subjective. What you deem fair may not seem fair to someone else, your spouse included. As such, it is important to base your prenuptial agreement on the circumstances of your marriage—not what everyone else says is fair.

Contact Our Wheaton Prenuptial Agreement Attorneys

If you are thinking of signing a prenuptial agreement before you marry, contact Davi Law Group, LLC. Our seasoned DuPage County divorce lawyers can protect your interests and help you navigate the process. Schedule your personalized consultation by calling 630-580-6373 today.

Prenuptial agreements are designed to minimize the risk of complications in a divorce, but this is not their only potential benefit. Used correctly, this legal document can also benefit a couple during their marriage. Get the details on how a prenup can benefit (and possibly even strengthen) your marriage, and discover how a seasoned family law attorney can help to smooth the conversation, should you decide to get one before you wed.

1. Prenups Can Bolster Your Marriage Against Money Issues 

Money is the second leading cause of divorce—and not just because one party has it and is trying to control it. Couples may earn close to the same amount but have wildly different views on how money should be spent or saved. As a result, they may argue incessantly over money, which can erode the foundation of their marriage. Alternatively, their financial goals may not align with one another, so the parties may work against one another instead of together toward a common goal. 

When creating a prenuptial agreement, couples typically discuss their financial habits and goals. This allows the parties to predict and potentially strategize against some of the financial issues that may arise over the course of their marriage. It also requires them to compromise and agree on some common financial goals. All this work, painful and stressful as it might seem, can bolster the marriage against money issues later on down the road. 

Whether your wedding plans have been delayed by the virus or your big date is quickly approaching, now is the time to lay down financial plans and boundaries. One way to accomplish this is through a prenuptial agreement. Not just for the rich, this legal document can protect you in the event of a divorce, and encourage an open conversation about money management before you tie the knot. Still, there are some important mistakes to avoid when drafting your prenup. 

1. Being Afraid to Bring It Up

When it comes to romantic gestures, discussions about prenuptial agreements are likely the last thing to come to mind. You may even view such discussions as a threat to your impending marriage. Rest assured that a prenuptial agreement is unlikely to be the reason a would-be marriage ends. Instead, it is far more plausible to assume that the parties reached an impasse and realized they were financially incompatible. While such a discovery could be painful, it may also save you from years of heartache and a financially devastating divorce. 

Completing a prenup before your marriage could also protect your marriage from one the leading causes of divorce: arguments over financial matters. Unlike those who do not take the initiative to discuss money before marriage, you and your partner will have an agreement—a clear path to reach and achieve your agreed-upon financial goals. You will also have communicated through a highly complex document, which can further safeguard your marriage against a future divorce. 

Prenuptial agreements are not just for the rich. Instead, there are several scenarios in which this legal document can protect the vested parties in a possible divorce. Learn more by checking out these six situations in which a prenuptial agreement may be in your best interest. 

1. When Either Party Has a Considerable Amount of Wealth

Possession of a considerable amount of wealth is one of the most common reasons that couples choose to enter into a prenuptial agreement before marriage. Entering into this legal agreement before marrying lets you clearly define the rules for how wealth will be distributed in the event of a divorce. This rule also applies if one party earns more than the other at their job. 

2. If Either Party Owns a Business

If either you or your spouse owns a business, you may want to consider a prenup before getting married. Not only can this legal document protect your business and allow for proper allocation of its assets in the event of a divorce, but it can also define parameters on business operations and liability during the course of your marriage.