Social media moves into prenuptial agreements

Decades ago, prenuptial agreements were not commonly utilized. Society in general looked upon marital contracts as only needed by people who were extremely wealthy. Over time, that has changed and prenuptial agreements offer many unique benefits to New Jersey couples. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reports a growing number of such agreements from 2005 and 2010 according to a report in the New York Daily News.

New ways that prenuptial agreements can be used

Not all marital contracts are used with potential divorces in mind. In some cases, these documents can help to protect existing assets or obligations. For people with minor children from prior marriages, a prenuptial agreement can be a beneficial way of outlining continued support provisions, reassuring both the parent who must make payments as well as the parent who receives such payments.

Other couples have found prenuptial agreements helpful adjuncts to other estate planning documents. With more Americans marrying later in life, including after prior marriages and with adult children and even grandchildren, identifying a flow of assets after the death of one or both spouses can become more complicated. A marital contract can solidify which sets of relatives are to receive which assets or treasured belongings after the passing of the spouses.

Social media enters the world of divorce

Fox News explains how some couples are incorporating what are known as social media clauses into their prenuptial agreements. These clauses essentially seek to proactively prevent slandering of one party by another in the event of a divorce. Today’s online world makes it rather easy to paint a negative picture of another person in virtual moments. The harm that this may cause can vary depending upon the circumstances.

For anyone considering a social media provision in a marital contract, experts recommend that people be as specific as possible. Simply stating that one party cannot post pictures of the other party may be hard to enforce. For example, if one parent posts a photo of a joint child, the other parent may logically be in the photo. A clause, that states no nude photos can be posted by one spouse of the other, is more likely to be enforceable.

Legal input is important

Prenuptial agreements are legally binding documents and, as such, require the proper attention when being developed. Couples interested in leveraging these contracts should consult with an attorney to ensure their agreements provide the assistance and protection desired.