Not so terribly long ago, prenuptial agreements were widely stigmatized in American culture. There was a sense that one should not need to enter into a prenuptial agreement unless one had doubts about the potential longevity of one’s marital relationship. However, in recent decades, that stigma has all but disappeared from society. Why? Over time, it has become apparent that the process of drafting and the process of entering into a prenuptial agreement can make a union stronger, can facilitate self-respect, and can facilitate respect for one’s future spouse.
The Drafting Process Can Help Form Stronger Unions
One hundred years ago, few women worked outside of the home and men were expected to provide for their families to the absolute best of their ability. Nowadays, the American family and the American workforce have evolved in such significant ways that there is now no single “formula” for how a family is “supposed to” operate effectively. As a result, many marriages feature two working spouses, and in some marriages neither spouse works. In others, one spouse may work full-time while the other works part-time or one may work for a number of years and then takes off time to care for the household while the other spouse returns to work. And on, and on, and on.
As there is no single formula that is expected to facilitate every family’s wellbeing, spouses now need to think long and hard about their financial and practical expectations associated with marriage. The process of drafting a prenuptial agreement compels engaged couples to think through these expectations and to reach agreements that might otherwise have never been considered or clearly articulated. This process, while challenging at times, allows couples to begin their married lives on firmer foundations and with clearer expectations than they would have otherwise. In embracing this process, couples can avoid tensions that may have arisen had these issues not been worked through proactively.
Proactive, Informed Approaches Are Self-Respecting and Respecting of One’s Partner
Not all marriages last until “death do you part.” As experienced Tampa, FL family lawyers – including those who practice at The McKinney Law Group – can clarify in greater detail, it is important to plan for the possibility (however remote) that your union may not last forever. In entering into a prenuptial agreement before any tension has had the opportunity to build, you can safeguard your own rights as well as those of your future spouse. This is a deeply respectful exercise that makes legally enforceable the idea that—no matter what—everyone’s rights will be respected, even if this union doesn’t last.