Prenuptial And Marital Agreements In Los Angeles
Prenuptial agreements allow a couple to agree on financial arrangements and property rights prior to getting married. As marriage is a contract, it holds each member of the couple to certain requirements. Prenups permit you and your future spouse to create your own legal system and alter California law.
Helping You Prepare For The Unexpected
Some issues that can be covered by a prenuptial agreement are:
- Confirming your rights to separate property
- Preventing your future spouse from obtaining an interest in your separate property as a result of your future efforts or commingling
- Terminating or limiting your future obligation to pay spousal support
- Compensating you for giving up a lucrative career in favor of the marriage
- Providing one spouse debt protection from the debt of the other spouse
- Protecting inheritance rights for children of a previous marriage
- Protecting your new spouse from interference from your children of a previous marriage in the event of your death
- Protection of an individual’s business, general financial interests and wealth
- Agreeing on the method to be used if the couple does divorce, such as mediation or arbitration instead of litigation
- Should you divorce, simplifying the divorce process
Our lawyer, Karen Donahoe, is well-versed in what California law will and will not accept in a prenuptial agreement. She and our staff will draft or review a prenup for you, helping you understand what all of these decisions will mean long term and how they may affect you in the event of a divorce.
Protecting Your Interests While Crafting An Agreement That Is Right For Both Of You
We recommend that you and your spouse each have his or her own attorney. It is important that each of you is fully represented and has an independent review of your prenuptial agreement in order that you can assure that a future court would validate the agreement.
Both parties should also disclose all of their assets and liabilities so that everything is on the table. With this information and our guidance, you will be able to create a prenup that is a good structure for both of you, instead of creating litigation in the future.
Our law firm can also draft post-nuptial agreements after you have been wed. However, we recommend that you enter into a prenuptial agreement several months before any planned wedding.
Contact Our Attorney To Learn More About How A Prenup Can Benefit You
Prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements are best thought of as a type of insurance policy. You may hope that you never have to use it, but it provides you with peace of mind should the unexpected occur. To learn more, contact us online or call 424-270-0546 to schedule a consultation. From our offices in Los Angeles, we provide representation to clients in Westside, Brentwood and throughout Southern California.