You know that you would like to use a prenuptial agreement when you marry your significant other. You certainly don’t believe that you’re going to get divorced, but you do understand that it is a statistical possibility. You want to make sure that you are protected and that you will not feel like you lost assets in the split.
Your significant other has never expressed a desire to use a prenup, so you know you’re going to have to bring this up at some point. You may feel nervous to do so and continue putting it off. This can be a dangerous problem, as you want to ask about the prenup a significant amount of time before the wedding.
Why does the timing matter?
There is no specific time range that is set in stone. For instance, there’s nothing saying you have to ask for a prenup at least a month before the wedding. However, it is best to do it a few months before, at minimum, if you’re able to do so. Waiting too long can have serious ramifications.
Remember, one of the main reasons that a prenup may be invalid is if your spouse claims they did not have time to consider the document carefully before they signed it. The cliche example is a bride or groom springing the prenup on their significant other the night before the wedding, but it doesn’t have to be that close. Even asking someone to sign a week before may be nowhere near enough time for them to consider the true legal ramifications of signing. They may also feel like they’re being coerced or tricked into signing since they’ve already invested money in the wedding and canceling would be embarrassing.
The best thing you can do is to look into all of your legal options to create a prenup as soon as possible so that you don’t run afoul of these sorts of regulations.