Prenuptial agreements, also known as “prenups” and “antenuptial agreements,” have always received bad press and negative connotations. However, prenups have become more common in recent years, especially for second marriages, blended families, and individuals who are concerned about protecting a separate business, family gifts or inheritance. 
Antenuptial agreements are commonly believed to be a negative occurrence prior to marriage because they are predicated on the couple eventually divorces. This is a common misunderstanding that your family law attorney will quickly dismiss.
Other reasons a party would be hesitant to create a prenuptial agreement include poor reactions from future in-laws, financial embarrassment, having to disclosure information to an attorney, and dealing with unresolved issues in an individual’s relationship.
Don’t let naysayers or your own opinion about antenuptial agreements steer you away from creating a document that can actually be beneficial to your relationship.
Know What You Are Getting Into
Knowing the financial status of your spouse can help you prepare for what may happen should a divorce occur. This is not to say that you should be thinking about divorce when creating an antenuptial but knowing how property and debt is divided ahead of time is hugely beneficial.
In a prenuptial agreement you and your spouse are able to agree on how assets and debts are divided instead of the division defaulting to Oklahoma equitable division law. For example, you can decide on an amount for alimony in advance, which may be different from what the court would have awarded without a prenup.
With an antenuptial agreement your family law attorney has protected you in the case of a divorce and provided an avenue for a low-conflict and less expensive divorce.
Practice Discussing Financial Issues Before an Issue Arises
Family law attorneys report that finances are one of the top five issues couples argue about, and typically are not something couples look forward to discussing with each other. A prenuptial agreement forces you and your spouse to reveal all financial information up front, hopefully minimizing any future arguments about financial management.
Couples usually must address a financial issue because one or both spouses have found themselves in a serious financial situation. Before finances become an issue, ask your family law attorney to draft an antenuptial agreement which requires you to discuss and practice how to handle difficult financial situations before they arise.
By having this conversation before marriage, your prenup allows you to talk about the future and ensure you are both on the same financial page as you enter marriage.
Build on the Basic Foundational Issues of Compromise and Communication
Any family law attorney will tell you that discussing any difficult subject (e.g. in-laws, physical and emotional intimacy, money) helps the couple building strong communication skills and learn how to compromise.
For an antenuptial to be valid, both parties must be independently represented by a family law attorney. However, the most successful prenuptial agreements are created when the couple openly and honestly communicates with each other.
Couples learn a lot about each other in the drafting of a prenup – values, motivations and concerns – and your spouse’s will come out in the drafting process creating a more intimate understanding of your spouse.
Successfully completing a prenup helps to reassure each spouse that they can resolve issues with open communication and that they are capable of compromise.
Free Consultation with a Tulsa Family Law Attorney
The antenuptial agreement does not have to cause embarrassment or hurt feelings, in fact, the process may actually bring you closure as a couple than you were before.
An experienced family law attorney is essential when drafting or reviewing your prenuptial agreement to ensure your rights are protected and reduce any surprises in the process.
Contact an experienced Tulsa family law attorney when you need to help with a prenuptial agreement.
For a free confidential consultation, call now: 918-924-5526.
