Premarital Agreements Can Be A Helpful Communication Tool In Your Marriage

There has been a persistent social stigma attached to prenuptial agreements. People ask, “Why are you planning for your divorce?” Now, however, individuals are beginning to see these agreements as the organizational and classification documents they were always intended to be.

At Cogdill Nichols Rein Wartelle Andrews, our lawyers have extensive experience guiding clients through the gamut of family law matters in communities such as Marysville, Mill Creek and throughout King County. Washington is a community property state, so we use both prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements as a way to keep property and asset ownership clear during a marriage. Contact our office to learn more about how these documents can protect your assets and avoid costly disputes if divorce becomes a reality.

Defining Pre- And Postnuptial Agreements

The incentive is to set forth what will happen if the marriage does not work out. Both of these documents are instrumental in the allocation of property and designating what property each spouse brought to the marriage. The function of prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements is to characterize these properties and say how they will be addressed in a divorce.

• Prenuptial agreements: These agreements are drafted before a marriage and serve to clarify what assets are brought to the union from each party. Contact an Everett prenuptial agreement lawyer at our office to get started.
• Postnuptial agreements: Once married, the spouses should draft and continuously update a postnuptial agreement. These documents can be used to specify and clarify ownership of assets or debts acquired through the course of a marriage.

Additionally, topics such as spousal maintenance and life insurance can be addressed in these agreements. Spousal maintenance, also called alimony or spousal support, can become a hotly contested area of divorce mediation. With detailed information and instructions in marriage agreements, we can avoid several disputes.

We Can Answer Your Questions About Marital Agreements

If you would like to speak with a member of our law firm about marital agreements or any other family law matter, or have any other questions about our practice, please contact our office at 425-247-3984 to speak with one of our family law attorneys.