Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements

Austin Prenuptial Agreement Attorneys

Texas and Prenuptial and Postmarital Agreements

While we all enter into our marriages with the intention of living happily ever after and certainly do not exchange vows with the possibility of divorce on our minds, the reality is that many couples do end up separating and it is important that you are protected financially in such circumstances. It is probably not a comfortable subject to broach, but a discussion about the merits of a prenuptial agreement should take place before your wedding day. This is especially true if you are in a relationship in which there is a large amount of assets at stake. Will there definitely be alimony, or is alimony excluded from the outset? Will the debts of one spouse be taken on as the responsibility of both parties? Are your assets going to be considered community or separate property? The answers to these questions can involve the determined outcome of millions of dollars.

A prenuptial agreement or premarital agreement should be considered particularly if there is a disparity of income between the spouses, one party expects a large inheritance, one party has children from a previous marriage or relationship, or the spouses are engaged in business together. Bertolino LLP has family law attorneys who are experienced in tax law, business law, and estate planning and can work with you to create a prenuptial agreement that offer you the best possible circumstances in terms of tax filing and the protection of assets that you brought into the relationship. The final prenuptial agreement will be one that both parties sign voluntarily and that ideally has been reviewed by independent counsel for fairness and thoroughness.

Whether or not you had a signed agreement in place before your wedding day, you may decide after becoming husband and wife that a postnuptial agreement or post marital agreement would be beneficial in your situation moving forward. Please don't think that the opportunity to put your financial house in order has passed because the wedding is over. Both spouses can always agree to place into writing their decisions concerning how money and other assets would be handled in the event of a divorce.

If you and your partner have determined that a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is sensible planning given your financial situation, then the family law lawyers at Bertolino LLP are ready to help you create a plan that respects the relationship the two of you have created but also considers the independence and long-term security that both of you want to protect.