A post-marital agreement may sound counterintuitive and unnecessary. However, learning about why this arrangement could benefit you may give you the incentive to implement one into your relationship.
Marriage has its ups and downs and sometimes things do not unfold the way you anticipated. Having a mutually agreed-upon arrangement could reduce tension, increase understanding and encourage unity.
Substantial increase in separate assets
One notable reason to have a post-nuptial is when separate assets increase substantially. This could happen as the result of an increase in income, the collection of a valuable investment or receiving of an inheritance. Business ownership is another example of when you could benefit from an agreement.
When you or your spouse earns significantly more than the other, positively identifying what belongs to whom can bring peace of mind. Knowing both parties agree about asset distribution under unexpected circumstances might alleviate concern about the future.
Discord and marital strife
Sometimes you might encounter discord in your marriage. You could want to try therapy or other resources before choosing to divorce. According to CNBC, nearly half of all first marriages fail in the first decade. If you have concerns about divorce on the horizon, you may want to communicate an agreement ahead of time. Even if you can work through marital differences, knowing that you were able to implement a post-nuptial agreement might provide clarity going forward.
A post-marital agreement has several benefits that could strengthen your relationship. Finding commonalities and creating a mutually advantageous agreement is the goal.