If you are considering requesting a premarital agreement, have been asked to sign a premarital agreement, or are preparing to marry and have questions about premarital agreements generally, the place to start is by consulting with an experienced Chicago premarital agreement attorney today.Â
A premarital agreement is just another name for a prenuptial agreement, and it is not a stretch to say that they generally have a bad reputation. This reputation, however, is unfounded. A prenuptial agreement is nothing more than a legal contract that goes into effect immediately upon marriage and that guides how a divorce will divide your property and may also address the issue of spousal maintenance, among many other items that couples contemplate when getting married. In the same way that your marriage is a legal contract, so too is any prenuptial agreement that you enter into. While a prenup can serve many important roles, it is not something that you should enter into lightly or that you should sign off on without first consulting with a dedicated premarital agreement attorney. In fact, both parties should have their own independent legal counsel.
With a valid, well-considered prenuptial agreement in place, both spouses can accomplish the following:
It is important to note here that having a premarital agreement in place is in no way an indictment of your marriage or an omen that you and your spouse will inevitably divorce. While these are tropes that movies and TV shows would have you believe, this is not what premarital arrangements are about. In fact, a premarital agreement that protects both spouse’s financial rights – by removing several unknowns from the equation – can even help a marriage flourish.Â
A premarital agreement cannot address any factors that relate to child custody or child support.
Further, a prenup cannot include terms that are otherwise illegal (in an attempt to bypass divorce laws or anything else). Â
If you have concerns about whether or not you need a premarital agreement, you have come to the right place. The accomplished Chicago premarital agreement attorneys at Ward Family Law dedicate their practice to helping clients like you make decisions regarding premarital agreements that protect their financial rights, support their marriages, and work for them. We are here to help you, and on your side, so please don’t wait to contact us for more information today.Â
Love and marriage. We needed a prenup because our families made us do one just to be safe. The entire thing was smooth so we could focus on our wedding and not be too crazy with the prenup. The agreement was drafted and reviewed by each of our attorneys, we signed and we were married. Woo Hoo. Thanks again, Ward Family Law.
10/10 is my rating for Ward Family Law. Jennifer and Emily went above and beyond in my divorce case. I cannot say more praise.
I lost my job but still had to pay the child support. I was scrambling. I talked to Jennifer Ward and she explained the process and the need to quickly file to put the court on notice that my child support needed to change. She saved me so much money in the long run while I looked for a new job so that I could start paying to help my kids again. Losing my job was not in the plan but at least my kids are on track.
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