The day you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with your significant other is an exciting one. You buy a ring, plan the proposal and begin to plan your shared life. But, what if you have substantially larger assets than your future spouse? How can you protect your resources if things later go south in your marriage? One way is by signing a prenuptial agreement.
Do you own a business? This is quite possibly one of the biggest reasons why you need to sign a prenuptial agreement prior to getting married. You don’t want your future spouse obtaining half or all of your business if you should get divorced.
Do you or your spouse have a lot of debt coming into the marriage? If so, a prenuptial agreement will make sure that the debt follows the person who brought it into the marriage and is not divided between the two of you if and when you decide to divorce.
Having a higher income than your future spouse is another reason to sign a prenuptial agreement. The same goes for the spouse with less income. You can determine how you will be supported should the marriage end in divorce.
Are you getting a pet prior to the marriage? Do you already have a pet with your future spouse? If so, a prenuptial agreement can detail who will care for the pet if your marriage ends in divorce.
Signing a prenuptial agreement does not mean that your marriage will definitely fail. All you are doing is protecting the assets you individually bring into the marriage. It can also help outline how certain issues will be handled should the two of you ever file for divorce.