Pre-marital Agreements

California Premarital Agreements Lawyer

Premarital Agreements

Prenuptial agreements are an important financial planning tool for couples. Today, as couples often marry after they have established their careers, each of them may own their own property. Few spouses-to-be want to simply give up their separate property, but many people do not realize the full consequences of marriage on their property. Expensive, complex problems can arise in a dissolution action because parties fail to consider the possibility of divorce before marriage and fail to take the steps necessary to protect what they may already own.

The Law Offices of Linda S. Gross offers years of experience practicing family law and we are strong advocates of premarital agreements. A premarital agreement can save a couple thousands of dollars in the event of a divorce. As the old saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” This is especially true if one person in a pending marriage already owns a home, a business, has intellectual property which he or she has created, or has personal investments worth protecting. If these types of hard-earned assets are worth protecting to you, contact our experienced premarital agreements attorney today.

An Argument In Favor Of The Prenuptial Agreement

If a couple cannot have meaningful conversations regarding money, property and finances BEFORE marriage, the probability of success for their marriage is slim. We recommend that before parties marry without a premarital agreement, they read the book "Prenups for Lovers: A Romantic Guide to Prenuptial Agreements," by Arlene G. Dubin.

When they are in love and planning a marriage or registering as domestic partners, no couple wants to contemplate the possibility their relationship might not continue “happily ever after.” However, the hard reality is that more than 50% of marriages end in dissolution. Divorce statistics for Los Angeles County are even higher.

A premarital agreement can greatly assist in determining property division in the event of a divorce or dissolution of a domestic partnership. We believe that once both parties have completely disclosed their assets and liabilities, a couple can work together to reach an economic understanding. Proper premarital planning can also significantly reduce the time and money involved should the marriage or domestic partnership break up.

The Prenuptial Agreement – Softer Approaches

We recommend the use of collaborative law and family mediation processes for working out the terms of a premarital agreement. We feel that through the use of alternative dispute resolution, couples can learn important communication tools which will help strengthen their marriage. Sometimes the assistance of an expert, such as a financial planner or forensic accountant is helpful in these types of processes. Linda S. Gross, our Los Angeles family law attorney, can guide you through these ideal methods of creating an effective premarital agreement.

Linda is deeply committed to helping spouses- and partners-to-be avoid future pitfalls and expenses involved in dissolution, through a complete, well-made premarital agreement. If you would like assistance or guidance with a premarital agreement, contact our California prenuptial agreement lawyer today.