Maine Prenuptial Agreement Lawyer

A Prenuptial Agreement (also referred to as a Premarital Agreement) is a legal agreement between future spouses made in consideration of marriage, which will be effective once the party is married.

A Prenuptial Agreement can outline the division and distribution of present or future property following a dissolution of marriage, separation of the parties, or death of one of the parties.

This legal document must be in writing and signed by both spouses. A Prenuptial Agreement may include the following:

• The obligations and rights of each party regarding any property, of either or both parties, wherever it is located and whenever it is acquired
• The rights of each party to manage or control property
• The division of property in the event of separation, dissolution of the marriage, death, or the occurrence of other events
• The dictation or elimination of spousal support (sometimes called alimony)
• The creation of a legal arrangement, such as a will or trust, which carries out the provisions of the agreement
• The ownership rights and division of any death benefits from a life insurance policy
• The selection of law that governs the development of the agreement
• Any other matter, which may include personal rights and obligations that is not in violation of public policy or any law that would impose a criminal penalty

After the marriage, a Prenuptial Agreement may be revoked or changed only by a written agreement that is then signed by both parties involved.

A Prenuptial Agreement cannot be enforced if the party against whom enforcement is pursued proves that:

• They executed the agreement involuntarily;
• The agreement was unreasonable at the time of execution. This can mean that the party was not provided a just disclosure of the assets or financial situation of the other party and did not waive the disclosure of such information, and would not have otherwise had knowledge of such information.

If you have acquired significant wealth before marriage, you would greatly benefit from meeting with a Family Law Trial Lawyer to determine how a Prenuptial Agreement can protect your interests and financial future.