Month: May 2020

Prenuptial agreements used to be something that the average person never considered. They carried a bit of a stigma, for one thing, and some people felt that just bringing it up was offensive. They were also mostly used by the wealthy, as they had more at stake.

These days, though, more and more couples are getting prenuptial agreements, even when they’re not wealthy. It is clear that the younger generations have embraced them in a new way.

One reason for this could be the fact that divorce rates soared after the development of no-fault divorce cases. That mass increase has leveled off, but it means that a lot of today’s young couples grew up in a world where divorce was far more common. It’s easier for them to accept than it was for previous generations.

Another reason is that people often delay getting married into their late 20s or even their 30s. You don’t see nearly as many couples just getting married right out of high school. They put it off and focus on careers and dating relationships. This means that they may have far more assets when they actually do get married than couples had in the past, so the use of a prenup just seems to make a bit more sense to them.

It’s still true that most couples do not use prenups, but it’s also clear that they’re beginning to see how useful of a tool these can be. If you want to use one, it’s important to know exactly how to get it set up properly before the wedding.

Today, most people get married because of how they feel. They fall in love with one another, decide they can’t spend life apart and choose to get married. This has been dubbed the “marriage of feeling.”

It has certainly not always been this way. As much as we romanticize this idea now, the “marriage of reason” has been more common over human history. People did not get married because they were in love but because of the advantages of the marriage.

This is easiest to see with royalty, as they often married as a way to secure peace between two countries. The people getting married may never even have met, but the marriage wasn’t about them. It was about creating allies.

Even with commoners, though, marriage often happened for practical reasons. Two people may have land next to each other and decide to marry in order to join their properties. Parents may look for partners for their children based on what religion they followed. Historically, women often wanted to marry men because they needed them for financial support, while men want to get married because of the need for offspring.

While this still happens today, things have changed. The marriage of feeling is far more common, and many people feel like it sounds very unfair and wrong to get married for any other reason.

The issue with the marriage of feeling, though, is that it is only bound by those feelings. With no practical reason to be married, couples who fall out of love may want to end the union. When they get divorced, it’s important to know about the legal options they have.

The divorce process is complicated and stressful, which often contributes to mistakes that you end up regretting in the future.

Fortunately, with the right approach to divorce, you can avoid mistakes that cause you trouble. Here are some of the many mistakes that have the potential to sneak up on you:

• Neglecting to create a property division checklist: Property division is always a top priority during divorce, as you want to secure all the assets you’re entitled to. A checklist can help keep you on track, while also making note of which assets are joint and separate.
• Putting your children in a compromising position: Your children are going through the divorce process as well, so do your best to protect them. Don’t put them in the middle, such as by forcing them to take your side against your soon to be ex-spouse.
• Forgetting to plan for the future: There’s so much going on in the here and now, that you may lose sight of the fact that there will be life after your divorce. Now is the time to plan for your new life, such as by creating a post-divorce budget and thinking about where you want to live.

When you avoid these divorce mistakes, among others, it’s easier to feel good about the steps you’re taking and where you’ll end up when everything is said and done.

The key to success is understanding your legal rights and the best way to protect them. With this approach, you’ll have the confidence necessary to deal with anything that comes your way.