When asked if they are going to use a prenup, many couples will feel uncomfortable. They may understand that a prenuptial agreement can be useful in protecting assets, but they do not necessarily want to bring up the topic with their future spouse. They believe that it will increase the odds of divorce or that it will indicate to their significant other that they are already thinking about ending the marriage, which has not even begun yet.
That being said, there is no indication that having a prenup actually changes the odds of divorce at all. Instead, it just sets up some of the framework for how assets should be divided if a divorce does occur. But that does not mean that the end of the marriage is more likely or that the couple’s relationship is less stable. In fact, there are those who believe that it can actually give people a more stable and successful marriage, lowering their odds of divorce.
Why would this happen?
One important thing to remember is that many couples get divorced over financial issues. Maybe they run into unexpected financial stress. Maybe they view money much differently, such as when one person is naturally a spender and the other is a saver. Perhaps there are issues with financial infidelity.
But when a couple wants to set up a prenuptial agreement, they are forced to sit down and have real conversations about finances, assets and things of this nature. This can facilitate a higher level of communication than would have occurred otherwise, which can strengthen the marriage and help avoid some of these common causes of divorce.
Whether you are setting up a prenuptial agreement before getting married or working your way through a divorce, be sure you understand all of your legal rights.
