The prenuptial agreement (often abbreviated to “prenup”) is hardly a new form of legal document. In fact it has been around in one form or another for thousands of years. The practice of writing a prenuptial agreement before entering into a marriage contract was most prevalently used in European and Far Eastern cultures where royal families always made provisions for protecting their wealth.

The very thought of a prenup is certainly not romantic and causes butterflies in many people’s stomachs but bear in mind that it is only a contract. The “pre” in prenup means it is a binding agreement that occurs between prospective spouses before the marriage or “nuptial” takes place. Once it is signed and out of the way, both parties can relax and move on to more enjoyment aspects of wedding planning.

What Does it Do?

A prenuptial agreement gives both parties the opportunity to set forth what will happen to income and other assets (including property) if the marriage should end in separation, divorce or death. Discussing financial issues is never easy but talking about money before entering into a marriage can save heartache and stress in the long term. Without a prenup, assets could end up in the hands of your spouse’s children from a previous marriage as opposed to your own children. Or they could go to a lazy mate who contributed very little while you built a business from the ground up or wrote a book or manual that later became a smashing success. Don’t let the rewards of your hard labor end up in the wrong hands! A prenup is geared towards avoiding these unnecessary problems.

The financial well being of a marriage can be ensured ahead of time when a prenup is drawn up and approved by both partners. It is definitely worth taking into consideration for couples planning to take the big step into matrimony. After all, marriage is as much a financial union as it is a physical and emotional union.