A prenuptial agreement provides a certain level of protection for each spouse as they prepare to enter into marriage. But is a prenup right for every couple? Below, the family law attorneys at Brown, Burgoon, & Hartnagel, P.C., in Nanuet, NY, answer this question by sharing five reasons to get a prenuptial agreement, focusing on the specific types of couples who can benefit most from this arrangement.

5 Reasons to Get a Prenuptial Agreement

1. You Have Substantially More Wealth Than Your Partner

If you have significant wealth, you likely want to do whatever possible to safeguard your assets. This is particularly true in situations where one spouse has substantially more money than the other. You can design a prenup that puts specific plans in place for how your money is to be handled in the event of a divorce.

2. You Are Remarrying

If this is not your first marriage, then there's a higher likelihood you're entering into the relationship with some money or assets of your own. You may have accrued these items during your single years or during a prior marriage. Regardless of how you earned them, you want to protect them. In your prenup, you can dictate how this money is addressed should you and your new spouse go your separate ways.

3. Your Partner Has Significant Debt

Carrying a high debt load presents its own complications for soon-to-be married couples. Are both partners now responsible for this debt? If you're the spouse with less debt, do you help your partner pay it off? If you're the spouse with more debt, do you set the expectation that you'll be sharing this burden? There are no easy answers here, but a prenup can at least help should the marriage end in divorce. You can designate that any debts accumulated prior to the marriage are the sole responsibility of the spouse who carries them.

4. You Own Part of a Business

Businessowners should consider a prenup as well. According to family law, in a divorce, the spouse of a person who owns part of a business is entitled to a portion of any appreciation in value the business experienced during the marriage. But with a prenup, you can protect yourself and your business from sizable loss in this type of situation.

5. You Plan to Quit Your Job & Raise Children

Spouses who choose not to work outside the home and focus on raising the children are doing incredibly important work. Sadly, however, they won't earn a paycheck from that work. If you or your spouse is planning to stop working in order to start a family, you can make special provisions in your prenup that recognize the work the homemaking spouse is undertaking; this way, they aren't left in dire financial straits should the marriage not work out.

If any of the above scenarios apply to your situation, let the divorce law and family court attorneys at Brown, Burgoon, & Hartnagel, P.C., help you custom-design the prenup that will best safeguard your marriage and your interests. Since 1992, they have been representing Rockland and Orange County residents in family law, personal injury, and real estate matters. Call (845) 624-1966 or visit them online to set up a free consultation today.