When some people think of prenuptial agreements, they automatically associate them with old stereotypes: an unromantic, selfish gesture that means the relationships lacks trust.
Prenups have been through the cultural ringer. Decades of stigmatizing them over the fairytale notion of everlasting love has caused some to shy away, but it hasn’t stopped the rising number of millennials who are signing them. As that generation has begun obtaining property, building savings, and owning businesses, they’ve adopted a realistic approach to their vow exchanges and set themselves up for any possible scenario.
The myths surrounding prenups have been widespread for too long. Here are a few of the biggest ones that come up for people preparing to walk down the aisle:
- Entering a prenup means you’re not committed to the marriage – Some people assume that by preparing for whatever the future may throw at you, you’re creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. This flawed logic couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, any marriage takes a lot of work, regardless of prenup status. Actively cultivating a healthy marriage is much more important than relying on fate. A lot can change over time for any couple or individual, whether you’ve given your marriage over to blind faith or not.
- Seeking a prenup is a sign of mistrust – It’s an unfortunate stereotype that asking for a prenuptial agreement means you assume your spouse will turn out to be just short of a dishonest con artist coming after your money. Prenups are actually practical ways of planning for future goals and ambitions, giving both yourself and your spouse a logistically sound backup and clear intentions for property, unique assets and inheritance.
- We can write the prenup ourselves – Sometimes, ambitious people feel they can cut out the third party and solve everything alone. That’s not the case when you’re dealing with legal documents. If you want your prenup to hold any weight in court, you’ll need an attorney to help you draft it. Even the smallest error can send the agreement to the wastebasket.
By helping your spouse and others understand that the benefits of a prenup far outweigh the perceived flaws, you can free yourself of the stigma and secure your future. It’s worth it to have that peace of mind while you build your life with your partner.