Relationships
Should we sign a prenuptial agreement?
Should we sign a prenuptial agreement before the wedding, or rely on the default rules of marriage law?
A prenup brings clarity and an honest money conversation before marriage and can protect what each of you built before it — but the topic feels unromantic, costs money to draft and can be read as distrust. This template lays out both sides calmly so you and your partner can weigh them together.
Short answer
A prenup makes sense when either partner brings significant pre-marital assets into the marriage — a business, property, an expected inheritance — or you want to agree the money rules calmly rather than in the middle of a crisis. Skip or postpone it if it would arrive as one side's ultimatum weeks before the wedding. And remember: what a marital contract can cover varies widely by country — a family lawyer in your jurisdiction has the final word.
Template balance
Too close to call
The sides are nearly balanced — try breaking big items down further.
A prenup forces an honest money conversation before marriage, not in the middle of a crisis
It can feel unromantic — planning for failure at the happiest moment of the relationship
How the verdict works
Each item counts with the weight you gave it. Sub-points can strengthen or weaken their parent by up to 50% — your own rating always stays primary.
Tap any argument below to switch it off and watch the balance move — sub-arguments shift their parent's weight.
Pros
Cons
Adjust the arguments and weights to your situation — the verdict recalculates live.
Check before you decide
- Raise the topic months before the wedding, in a calm moment, not as a late surprise
- Start from shared goals — protecting a business, keeping an inheritance separate — and let the document follow
- Consult a family lawyer in your jurisdiction about what a marital contract can actually cover
- Ensure each partner gets independent legal advice so the contract holds up later
- List together what counts as separate and what as shared property before any drafting
- Agree on a review trigger — children, a career break, a major asset — so the terms stay fair over time
Frequently asked questions
- Does wanting a prenup mean we don't trust each other?
- Not by itself. Many couples treat it the way they treat insurance: a document you hope never to use. What matters is how it is discussed — as a joint plan both partners shape, or as an ultimatum one side imposes. And if the conversation surfaces real disagreements about money, it is better to discover them before the wedding than years into the marriage.
- Is a prenuptial agreement legally binding?
- It depends on your country. Rules differ widely on what a marital contract may cover, whether it must be notarized and when a court can set it aside. This template helps you decide whether you want one at all; for the legal side, talk to a family lawyer in your jurisdiction — nothing here is legal advice.
- When and how should we bring it up?
- Earlier is easier. Raising it months before the wedding, in a calm moment, gives both partners time to think rather than react. Many couples start from shared goals — protecting a business, keeping an inheritance separate, agreeing how a future home will be handled — and let the document follow from the goals rather than the other way around.
Should we sign a prenuptial agreement before the wedding, or rely on the default rules of marriage law?
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