Pre-Nuptial/Ante-Nuptial Agreements

Greenwich, Connecticut Pre-nuptial Agreement Lawyer

Couples who are planning to marry often consider whether a pre-nuptial agreement is an appropriate way to govern their financial arrangements during their marriage, after a divorce, or upon the death of one of the spouses. Many times, prospective spouses have children by prior marriages to whom they want to give some or all of their estate. All pre-nuptial agreements in Connecticut executed after October 1, 1995, are governed by the Connecticut Premarital Agreement Act. This Act spells out in great detail the elements that must be contained in a pre-nuptial agreement for it to be valid and enforceable. The Act contains an extensive list of the arrangements that can be made pursuant to a pre-nuptial agreement:

The rights and obligations of each of the parties in any of the property of either or both of them whenever and wherever acquired or located;

The right to buy, sell, use, transfer, exchange, abandon, lease, consume, expend, assign, create a security interest in, mortgage, encumber, dispose of, or otherwise manage and control property;

The disposition of property upon separation, marital dissolution, death, or the occurrence or nonoccurrence of any other event;

The modification or elimination of spousal support;

The making of a will, trust or other arrangement to carry out the provisions of the agreement;

The ownership rights in and disposition of the death benefit from a life insurance policy;

The right of either party as a participant or participant’s spouse under a retirement plan;

The choice of law governing the construction of the agreement; and

Any other matter, including their personal rights and obligations.

Over the years I have represented many clients in the negotiation, drafting and execution of pre-nuptial agreements, helping them to protect their assets while providing for their loved ones. Marriage is not only a critically important personal decisions to make, it is also an important financial decisions, one where you might give thought to having me help you draft a pre-nuptial agreement to help define and protect your financial future and the financial security of loved ones, in the event of a divorce or a death.