Beverly Hills Prenuptial and Cohabitation Law Counsel Assists Clients with Asset Protection
Before entering into marriage, you are wise to consider what would happen in the event of a divorce someday. Virtually no one marries with the idea of divorcing down the road, but many people are realistic about the possibility in a society where about 50 percent of marriages end in divorce.
Prenuptial agreements are particularly appealing to:
- People with vastly different asset portfolios before marriage
- People getting married for the second or third time
- People with children from previous marriages or relationships
- People who own businesses or who hope to start businesses, and want to keep marriage and business completely separate, financially speaking
You or your fiancé(e) may not want to entertain the notion of a possible divorce. However, you may come to realize a prenup is something like insurance. A traditional divorce can cost many thousands of dollars. With an enforceable prenup, time, money and aggravation may be avoided in the event of a divorce.
Prenuptial agreements can cover other topics besides assets. You and your spouse can document your understanding about religious upbringing of your future children or any other aspect of your marriage.
What About After The Marriage?
There are sometimes good reasons to consider creating a postnuptial agreement, too. Common scenarios include the following:
- You are attempting to rebuild your marriage after experiencing marital problems and the two of you have agreed to remove financial issues as a source of concern by creating and following the terms of a postnuptial agreement.
- One or both of you are planning to start a business or invest in an existing one. Perhaps your business partners insist that you put a postnuptial agreement in place to ensure that a potential divorce would not result in a breakup of the business.
- You and your spouse have discovered certain assets and/or family matters that make a postnuptial contract sound like a wise idea.
Unmarried Couples Living Together are Wise to Have a Cohabitation Agreement
Nowadays more than ever, couples live together and do not get married. Unmarried couples routinely sign leases and buy property together, buy furniture or Art, invest in Real Estate or other assets and yes, have Children. A Cohabitation agreement can addess how to share living costs and expenses while you are together. For couples that split up amicably, they can avoid the difficulty of dividing non-marital assets by reaching an agreement. In other circumstances when the split is tumultuous, couples can have real difficulty when it comes to dividing assets upon splitting up. When Children are involved, Custody and Child Support issues related to the Child can be handled in Paternity Court. A Cohabitation Agreement is a contract between unmarried couples regarding their assets, debts and finances if they break up. Cohabitation agreements are particularly useful to address:
- Ownership of Property
- Payment of bills and expenses
- Partner Support
- Division of Real Estate
- Who takes the Pet(s)
- Living circumstances if there are children
- Support for children prior to going to court
- Leasehold issues
- Personal Property Division
- Bank accounts
You or your partner may feel uncomfortable addressing these issues in writing. However, you may come to realize a cohabitation agreement is a safety net to avoid litigation. A traditional court case can costs can cost many thousands of dollars. With an enforceable Cohabitation agreement, time, money and aggravation may be avoided in the event of a breakup.
What Effect do they have in Court?
There are sometimes good reasons to consider creating a cohabitation, too. Common reasons include the following:
- They are enforceable in court if done correctly
- Unmarried couples have little other legal protections in Family Law Court
- Marvin Litigation is expensive and uncertain
Work With An Experienced Beverly Hills Family Law Attorney
As you look for a lawyer to help you negotiate, draft and/or formalize a cohabitation agreement, prenup or a postnup, consider Law Office of Bradley S. Sandler A Professional Corporation in Los Angeles. I am attorney Bradley S. Sandler, and I bring extensive family law experience to the table. I can help ensure that you understand your rights and follow all legal requirements for creating an enforceable premarital or postmarital agreement. I can also evaluate a prenup or postnup before a divorce to determine if you can challenge it.
The Law Office of Bradley S. Sandler A Professional Corporation provides skilled and efficient help. Call 310-246-3900 or contact me at bradley@sandlerlawfirm.com to schedule a consultation at my Beverly Hills office.