There Are Many Advantages to Signing a Prenuptial Agreement

June 14, 2016

There are many potential advantages to working out a prenuptial agreement with your future spouse. You may not think that you and your spouse will ever get divorced, but it never hurts to plan ahead and prepare for the worst-case scenario.

There is a perception among some people that prenuptial agreements exist in order to protect the male in a marriage against a “gold digging” female who simply wants to get his money. But that way of thinking is, according to Gabrielle Moss, an editor for a popular online publication, extremely sexist because it presumes that only men need to shield their assets. Moreover, this view of prenuptial agreements wrongly assumes that a marriage typically involves a “breadwinner” husband who goes to work to earn a living and a “gold digger” wife who stays at home and who doesn’t actually have any assets of her own that need protection.

Moss notes that the majority of women in marriages are vital members of the workforce. They earn steady incomes, own property, and generally have assets of their own and that are completely independent of their husbands.

The truth is that a woman has every right to ensure that her financial future is protected, which is why a prenuptial agreement should be considered by both parties to a marriage. The notion that only men have assets worth protecting in a marriage needs to be dispelled. A prenup can benefit the female partner in a marriage.

In addition to protecting the spouses’ individual assets in a marriage, a prenuptial agreement can also provide the spouses with greater freedom to choose to end the marriage, if necessary.

For a long time, women in the United States found themselves at the mercy of their husbands for income and financial protection – which made it very difficult for the wife in a particularly bad marriage to choose to file for divorce, lest she be left in an extremely tough position financially. This has changed over time, so that now both men and women have the financial freedom that can give them greater control over their own lives. A prenuptial agreement can ensure that both spouses maintain this freedom in the event that one of them chooses to end the marriage and get a divorce.

To learn more, check out the Bustle.com article, “7 Reasons Getting a Prenup Can Be a Feminist Act.”

If you are considering filing for divorce in New York, or if you are about to get married and are thinking about getting a prenuptial agreement, you should speak with a qualified divorce attorney. Jonathan D. Katz is an experienced divorce lawyer who can assist you throughout the divorce process. Contact Mr. Katz today to schedule a consultation.