Four Tips for Opening a Conversation About Prenuptial Agreements in Illinois

 Posted on April 14, 2021 in Prenuptial Agreement

For anyone walking down the aisle anytime soon, some data regarding divorce should be encouraging in terms of the future of your relationship: The Institute for Family Studies (IFS) reports that divorces have been steadily decreasing in the U.S. over the last few decades, hitting a record low of 14.9 divorces for every 1,000 marriages in 2019. This is the biggest drop in more than 50 years, surpassing the rate of 15 divorces per 1,000 marriages in 1970. Even better news is that the duration of current marriages increased by one year over the period from 2010 to 2019.

These figures are reassuring as your wedding date approaches, but it is still essential to be prepared for unforeseen issues. One way to protect yourself and your future is to consider a prenuptial agreement – a topic that many spouses-to-be avoid because of the negative reputation. While you can rely on a DuPage County prenuptial agreement lawyer to help with the legal tasks, you could use a few tips on how to start up the conversation.

Start the Conversation Well in Advance of the Wedding

With a topic as critical as a prenup, do not wait until the eve of the wedding to open the discussion. The best time to approach the subject is shortly after becoming engaged and as you are planning your upcoming nuptials. Couples can have a more productive, less confrontational conversation when they are not under time constraints.

Identify Your Goals and Expectations

Plan ahead of the conversation by considering your objectives in executing a prenuptial agreement. You might be protecting wealth you acquired before marriage, your interests in a business, or retirement – or you could seek to protect your spouse-to-be from excessive financial obligations that you incurred. Have these points at the ready so you can explain your reasoning for wanting to consider a prenup.

Approach a Prenuptial Agreement as a Team Effort

You will both be signing, so you should equally contribute to structuring your arrangement. If you present a document you prepared in advance, your actions are very one-sided. Your betrothed might be instantly on the defensive if you did much of the work behind the scenes. Instead, during the initial conversation about prenups, schedule a time when you will sit down to work out the details together.

Appreciate Flexibility

It is impractical and unreasonable to expect that your status quo will remain the same over the course of your marriage. Problems may arise much later when spouses’ circumstances change and the prenup does not account for them – all coming at a time when you may not be getting along. Make sure your conversation about prenuptial agreements includes options for flexibility.

A DuPage County, IL Prenuptial Agreement Attorney Can Offer Additional Advice

These tips may help you open a conversation about prenups, but you should trust the legal details to our Lombard prenuptial agreement lawyers at A. Traub & Associates. To learn more about your options and the relevant laws in Illinois, please call 630-426-0196 to set up a consultation.

Source:

https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-us-divorce-rate-has-hit-a-50-year-low