Prenups increasingly common, seen more objectively these days

If you’re old enough, you likely remember a time when it seemed almost taboo to interject the words “prenuptial agreement” into any marriage-related conversation.

The phrase unquestionably carried a stigma and negative connotation for legions of people, who viewed the very idea of executing such a contract prior to taking wedding vows as undermining love and marriage itself. How could a future union be solidified with a signed legal instrument providing for specific legal outcomes in the event of its failure?

We note that still prevalent attitude — at least for some — on our Massachusetts family law website at the Law Offices of Lisa A. Ruggieri. And although we acknowledge that select individuals still see prenups as “a sign that the marriage is already set to fail,” we don’t view that legal agreement in such terms at all.

In fact, we join a progressively growing number of Americans across the country who regard marital contracts as being simply practical and quite objective documents that mutually advance a couple’s important financial interests. When timely discussed and properly executed, the upsides inherent in a prenuptial contract can be many and material.

Millennials seem to be increasingly espousing that view. A recent article focusing on that demographic’s mindset concerning prenups emphasizes the group’s general endorsement of such contracts.

“Millennials are predisposed to protect their assets,” says the president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. And that concern is being followed up on by an ever-higher number of young couples turning to proven family law attorneys for education and guidance surrounding prenups.

We stress on our site that premarital agreements serve an important function for many marrying partners, and make flatly strong sense “if you and/or your soon-to-be spouse have assets you wish to be protected.”