People who have been around the block a few times may say that careless love is for the young. The youngest generation to be married right now, however, is being less careless with love than their parents may have been.
Prenuptial agreements, previously thought only to concern the rich and famous, are now becoming the norm as more “millennials,” generally born in the 1980s, are opting for the premarital document. These agreements can cover everything from the division of marital property to the disposition of a family pet in the case of a divorce.
This trend shows the general caution that younger people have taken to the institution of marriage. Millennials are getting married less and later than any previous generation. Many observers attribute this to changing priorities and experience growing up as children of divorce.
“Marriage is about love and it’s about romance,” said a woman who required an agreement before marriage. “But I would never get into another contractual obligation without protecting myself.”
Marrying later in life also means many fiancees are better off than before, so there are more assets and strategies to be considered. When considering marriage, many spouses see prenuptial agreements less as a “divorce contract” and more as “marriage insurance.”
Prenuptial agreements can be broken or abridged during divorce hearings, so it is recommended that future spouses consult an attorney when writing a prenuptial agreement. Legal representation can help strengthen the language and terms of an agreement and make the possible consequences of divorce clearer to each party before they make the most important decision of their lives.