With roughly half of all marriages ending in divorce, prenuptial agreements should be part of a woman’s financial thinking and planning, according to our financial advisers. As unromantic as it sounds, a woman needs to think of marriage — especially if she has significant assets of her own — as a financial transaction. Negotiating a prenup can be an ugly process, our advisers warn, adding that if things get ugly, that can be a signal of how the marriage itself will turn out.
Who Gets Grandma’s Lamp?
Prenuptial agreements are highly personalized and can get very specific regarding who gets what in a divorce, says Dorie Fain of AndWealth in New York.
More On Prenup Basics:
Why Every Woman Should Get a Prenup
Add a Prenup to Your Retirement Plan
Everything You Need to Know about a Prenup
Can Child Custody be Addressed in a Prenup?
We Call It the “Bimbo Clause”
Whether you’re planning a traditional or same-sex marriage, among the most important details of your prenuptial agreement is what Jennifer Hatch of Christopher Street Financial calls “The Bimbo Clause,” as she explains in describing her own same-sex marriage.
More On Prenup Infidelity Clause:
Do You Need an Infidelity Clause?
Can Infidelity Clause Deter Spouse from Cheating?
Legal Issues Regarding Infidelity Clauses
Infidelity Clauses May be Less Effective Than You Think
No Pre-Nup? How about a Post-Nup?
Jennifer Hatch of New York-based Christopher Street Financial sees a lot of value in a pre-nup. When there’s no pre-nup, a post-nup may do the job.
More On Postnup Agreements:
What’s a Postnup? Do You Need One?
Why Stay-at-Home Moms Need a Postnup
Postnups More Popular, but They’re Not for Everyone
Can a Postnup Save a Marriage?
Remarrying? Prenup Essential. Process Can be “Horrible”
The first piece of advice that Debra Taylor of Taylor Financial Group gives a woman considering remarriage is to get a prenup, no matter how difficult the negotiating process may become. And, boy, can it get difficult, she warns.
More On Prenups & Remarriage:
Remarriage and Prenuptial Agreements
Prenuptial Agreements for 2nd Marriage Seniors
Think Through Second Marriage Prenup
Protecting Your Child’s Inheritance in a 2nd Marriage
Private Trusts & Premarital Agreements in Remarriage
Ugly Prenup Process Can Foretell Ugly Marriage
Women should keep a close eye on the attorney their future spouse picks to represent him in prenup negotiations, advises Dorie Fain of AndWealth in New York. If the lawyer is contentious and/or condescending, that can be a tipoff about how the marriage will go.
More On Prenup Process:
5 Reasons Why Your Prenup Might Be Invalid
10 Most Common Mistakes of Negotiating a Prenup
Surviving Prenuptial Agreements
MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS
JENNIFER HATCH
Ms. Hatch has more than 20 years of Wall Street experience, including stints at JP Morgan and Bear Stearns, where she specialized in high yield bonds and international equities. She is a Certified Financial Planner dedicated to solving the financial dilemmas of same-sex couples.
MORE FROM JENNIFER HATCHEVE KAPLAN
Before starting her own firm, Ms. Kaplan spent many years in international finance in New York, Tokyo, Singapore, and Rotterdam. In Rotterdam, she managed nearly $1 billion in invested equities.
Columns on The Alternative Press
Contributions to Forbes
MORE FROM EVE KAPLANDEBRA TAYLOR
Formerly a practicing attorney, Ms. Taylor heads a full-service wealth management firm that provides a multidisciplinary approach to the needs of her clients, which include high net worth individuals and families.
Columns on The Alternative Press
Contributions to Forbes
MORE FROM DEBRA TAYLOR