The period leading up to marriage is a busy time for Kentucky couples who are preparing to embark on a life-altering journey, and discussing legal matters is not high on the list of romantic topics. Some people argue that doing so casts a pall on the upcoming nuptials. This is especially true when the subject is a prenuptial agreement. However, prenups are not only more commonly accepted as worthy of consideration, but they are also finding their way into the basic framework of many marriages.
Some of the preconceived notions about prenuptial agreements, such as being solely a tool for the rich or only for someone who doesn’t fully trust his or her intended spouse, have fallen by the wayside for the most part among the millennial generation. Legal experts report that those individuals who were born from the early 1980s through the early 1990s and, essentially, became adults around the turn of the 21st century are embracing prenups at a greater rate than previous generations.
There are several factors that can explain this change. Perhaps the most important consideration is that the millennial generation tends to marry at a later age than had been the norm. Consequently, each person entering marriage is more likely to have acquired assets worth protecting. Additionally, as the pay gap between men and women has begun to close, more women are initiating the conversation regarding prenups. The stereotype of only the man desiring and needing some protection from the consequences of a bad marriage choice no longer has any validity.
A prenuptial agreement does not assume that a divorce will happen nor make one more likely, but if the end of a marriage becomes inevitable at some future time, a prenup may make some of the hard decisions a bit easier. A family law attorney can offer counsel on the legal rights and responsibilities of the parties during a divorce.