It may not be the most romantic of topics, but pre-nuptial agreements are an important part of many couples’ big-day planning.
Forum findings
When discussing the topic with the lovely ladies on our forum, a whopping 48% of them said they would, or would at least consider, signing a pre-nuptial agreement.
It seems a sensible idea, especially if you already have children from a previous relationship, or if you or your family have a lot of financial assets. Going into a relationship with a clear arrangement in place could in fact make for a more stable marriage.
Don’t like the idea of discussing finances? You could draw up an agreement between yourselves about promises that you want to make to each other during the marriage – a romantic twist on the traditional pre-nup!
Tips for drawing up a pre-nuptial agreement from Fisher Meredith
Each of you should take independent legal advice.
Tell the other frankly about what you own, earn and expect to receive.
Download and complete a Form E. Your solicitors will use this information to create a schedule for each of you respectively so that the ‘pre-marital assets’ can be ascertained.
You will also need to ensure that you make a will to reflect what you are stating will happen in the event, not only of divorce, but of death.
Ideally these should be drawn up and signed six months before the wedding. This helps to avoid what’s known as ‘late pressure’ on either party. If you do leave it too late you can of course create a post-nuptial agreement.
Celebrities with pre-nups
When celebrities tie the knot, a pre-nuptial agreement is often talked about. If financial wealth is at stake, then many would consider this controversial agreement a necessity.
Jessica Biel may have got Justin Timberlake to settle down, but not before she slapped him with a pre-nuptial agreement that entitles her to at least $500,000 if Justin ever decided to play away.
In order to protect his Playboy assets, Hugh Hefner recently had his new wife Crystal Harris sign a pre-nuptial agreement. Apparently, it states that if the couple divorce, or if Hefner dies, Crystal would have to vacate the mansion, and has no legal rights to the iconic Holmby Hills estate.
When Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston got married, they agreed not to have a pre-nuptial agreement because their fortunes were very similar. However, after going through a difficult break up with Jen, we think it’s likely Brad will have one when he gets married to Angelina Jolie.
Pre-nuptial agreements aren’t for every celebrity, though. When Wayne Rooney married Colleen McLaughlin, the couple decided against the legal agreement because they thought it was un-romantic.
