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When you get married, you’re most likely just starting out and don’t have assets.
So, what’s even the point of getting prenuptial agreements in California?
Prenuptial agreements in California can get used to determine things like:
These are just a couple of the items a prenup in California can cover.
So, let’s dig into it.
Prenuptial agreements in California get used to determine lots of things about marriages.
This can include things like:
This list is not all-inclusive.
But it gives you an idea of what you can accomplish with a prenuptial agreement in California.
Prenups are not only used in the event of a divorce.
They can help couples figure out lots of things during their marriage.
Prenuptial agreements in California help ensure your marriage is successful long term.
Prenuptial agreements in California allow you to control the distribution of your property upon death.
Either spouse can use a California prenup to keep the family from previous marriages from getting an inheritance.
Let’s say you were previously married with children.
If you were to pass away, you probably want some of your inheritance to go to them.
Without a prenup, the state decides who gets what.
And that means your spouse may get everything, leaving your children with nothing.
Prenuptial agreements in California can clarify how property should get distributed.
Financial instability is a leading cause of divorce in California.
California prenuptial agreements can add stability to your finances during marriage and divorce.
Your prenup will lay out your current debts and assets.
If your spouse has a ton of debt, you may want to keep that as separate property.
Without a prenuptial agreement in California, this would become marital property.
That means, in a separation, you’d be responsible for paying off half your spouse’s debts.
A prenup will also allow you and your significant other to come up with a debt payoff plan prior to your marriage.
As you can see, California prenuptial agreements add lots of financial stability.
A prenuptial agreement is an agreement that two people enter into before their marriage.
A prenup allows couples to agree on how to divide property, debts, and other financial issues for separation.
Without a prenuptial agreement in California, the courts will make financial decisions for you in divorce.
Getting a prenup allows you and your spouse to come up with a fair agreement that works for both of you.
From our experience with divorces, when the courts decide, you will not be happy with the decision.
It’s better to come to a fair agreement on your own that works for both of you.
Some of the most common reasons people get a California prenuptial agreement are:
Prenuptial agreements are not for everyone.
But there are several reasons you should consider getting a prenuptial agreement in California.
You should get a prenup if either of you:
Again, this is not an exhaustive list of why you should get prenuptial agreements in California.
If you have a special case you’re curious about, fill out the form on this page for a free consultation.
You have two options when it comes to how to get a prenup in California.
Your prenup should be written in a way that’s clear, understandable, and legally sound.
If the prenup is written incorrectly, it will not hold up in court during a divorce.
This means that the judge can choose to ignore your prenuptial agreement.
Which means your finances will be divided per the law.
(Also known as how the judge wants to split things up for you.)
Your marital property, separate property, and debts will get split according to family law.
And if one of you dies, the other spouse:
If you want to have a prenup attorney create a prenup for you, fill out the form on this page.
We will make sure:
But how much does a prenup cost?
How much does a prenup cost depends on your situation.
If your finances are straightforward, then a prenup costs between $1,200 and $2,400.
The more you and your significant other have to negotiate, the more your prenup will cost.
If you have complex financial issues, prenups can cost up to $10,000+.
These are things like businesses, inherited trusts, LLC, partnerships, etc.
For the average person, you can expect a prenup to cost between $1,200 and $2,400.
If you want to save money on the cost of a prenup, check out our Do-It-Yourself Prenups.
The requirement for prenuptial agreements in California are:
A prenuptial agreement in California can cover a lot of issues.
A prenup defines the rights and obligations during marriage and divorce.
These issues include:
A prenup can include some of the following issues:
Related: How Long Does A Divorce Take
Child custody and child support can not get determined by a prenuptial agreement in California.
The judge is going to determine what is in the child’s best interest.
Meaning they will be making the decision on how much custody and child support gets awarded.
Parents cannot take this decision-making power away from the judge with a prenuptial agreement.
Even if you did include it in your prenuptial agreement in California, the courts would ignore it.
While you can’t limit child support, you can increase it in the prenup.
Let’s say you both agree on how to divide college expenses.
You can include this in your prenup in California.
You can include alimony in your prenuptial agreement in California.
In California, you can:
Prenups limiting alimony are a grey area in family law.
The judge has the right to ignore your prenup limiting alimony.
The judge can still award alimony to your spouse.
Even if there is a prenuptial agreement that limits the alimony.
They will overrule your alimony you agreed upon in the prenup if it seems unfair or retaliatory.
If a parent quits work to stay home with the children, the judge may award them alimony.
If a spouse is marrying into wealth, the judge may not overrule the prenup.
It all depends on what the judge deems as fair.
And in California, both individuals have to hire a separate prenup lawyer for alimony clauses.
Per the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, both spouses have to have separate lawyers review the prenup for alimony.
If they do not, then alimony clauses in a prenup won’t be enforceable.
Related: What Are The Chances Of A Father Getting Full Custody
To make prenuptial agreements in California enforceable, here’s what to do.
There are some other guidelines for signing a prenuptial agreement in California.
Each spouse should be:
According to the Uniform Premarital Act, California prenuptial agreements are only enforceable if each spouse:
Let’s say each spouse does not hire a separate prenup lawyer.
In this case, anything affecting alimony in the prenup will not be enforceable.
A prenup in California will automatically become effective once the couple marries.
A California prenup covers the couple’s present and future property rights.
There are things that are enforceable and unenforceable in a California prenup agreement. Enforceable provisions in a prenuptial agreement in California are:
You’re able to specify a lot of things with a prenuptial agreement. But let’s talk about what’s unenforceable on a prenuptial agreement in California:
Including unenforceable provisions can cause the judge to ignore your entire prenup.
The UPMAA requires prenuptial agreements in California to be in writing. This means that a verbal agreement is not binding for prenups. The prenup has to be in writing and signed by both parties.
Related: Reasons a Judge Will Change Custody
When you’re separating, the judge decides whether your prenuptial agreement is enforceable.
A judge will throw out the prenuptial agreement in California if one spouse:
Another reason would be if your circumstances have changed, making the prenup unfair.
For example, let’s say the wife started her own business, which is now making millions per year.
At the same time, the husband agreed to stay home with the children and to help support the wife’s business.
They had agreed to no alimony when they both had average jobs and lives.
But now, it would be unfair to the husband.
In a scenario like this, the judge would not enforce the prenuptial agreement for alimony.
Fraud occurs when a spouse conceals assets when making the prenup in California.
Let’s say the husband inherited a trust that he earns $10,000 per month from.
If he concealed this from his spouse when he signed the prenup, this is fraud.
Duress is when one spouse forces the other to sign the prenuptial agreement.
This ‘force’ can be a physical threat or a serious psychological threat.
Non-disclosure or misrepresentation is when one spouse hides assets or debts.
For example, if a spouse has 4 undergraduate degrees and $175,000 in debt.
But they only tell you about one degree and say they are debt-free.
They would be misrepresenting their debts.
(The degrees won’t constitute misrepresentation.)
You can change your prenuptial agreement in California anytime.
But both parties must agree to change the prenuptial agreement.
All your prenup lawyer has to do is create a prenup amendment for you.
They will provide witnesses for you.
And they will make sure that any changes properly void old clauses you want to be replaced.
Related: Grounds for Full Custody of Child
If you want the best prenup attorneys to represent you, fill out the form below.
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We know what issues cost divorcing spouses tens of thousands of dollars.
We know how to help your marriage last longer.
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After you fill out the form below, we will set up your free consultation.
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This website is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Consult an attorney if you are seeking legal advice.