You’re going to get married in the next few months, and your partner comes to you with a piece of paper. It’s a prenuptial agreement, and he or she wants you to sign it before agreeing to the marriage. Should you sign it, or is that document little more than an insult that should cause you to reconsider the marriage entirely?
The reality is that you should not view it as an insult, as it may actually be very helpful to both you and your future spouse. Depending on where you are in life, it allows you to keep some of your individuality. The things that you’ve accomplished remain yours alone.
For example, perhaps you started your own company, you have a certain amount of wealth, and you’re proud of what you’ve done. Maybe your partner has done the same. Don’t worry about who has earned more or been more successful; instead, be glad that the prenup means you both get to keep your own companies and earnings if you split up.
On top of that, just think of it as a potential simplification of a long and sometimes difficult process. You may not get divorced, but the stats show that half of marriages will end this way, and the divorce could take months or even years if you can’t agree. With a prenup, you could be done with everything in half the time — or less — because there are fewer decisions to be made. Why not have that option if it’s out there for you? If you never get divorced, it doesn’t hurt in any way, and it makes your life easier if you do.
Yes, a prenup may not be romantic, but it can be useful, so it’s wise to know how it works in Florida.
Source: Women’s Health, “My Partner Wants a Prenup—What Should I Do?,” Casey Gueren, accessed Oct. 16, 2015