Can a Prenuptial Agreement Trap You in a Bad Marriage?
Conventional wisdom says that pessimists think that prenuptial agreements cause divorce, optimists think that prenups help couples resolve their differences and stay married, and realists believe that divorce is inevitable for some couples and that prenups make the divorce process simpler. People sign prenups for a variety of reasons, including wanting to keep their debts separate, preventing inheritance disputes with stepchildren, and even agreeing to also dissolve their marriage pursuant to the laws of their religious community if they divorce in civil court. Prenups can prevent a lot of problems, but divorcing in the shadow of a poorly written prenup is worse than divorcing when you did not sign a prenup at all. A Boca Raton prenuptial and postnuptial agreement lawyer can help you draft a prenuptial agreement that accomplishes the goals that you need it to accomplish.
Prenup Locks Wealthy Couple in Apocalyptic Divorce Battle
Abe Haruvi and Giovanna Stephenson are having the worst divorce that Palm Beach County has seen since Burt and Lucille “Lovey” Handelsman untied the knot after 60 years of marriage. Their marriage fell apart for fairly mundane reasons, but the reason that their divorce is so nightmarish is the prenuptial agreement that they signed when everything was rosy. The prenup says that Stephenson gets only a modest settlement if she initiates a divorce simply because she no longer wants to be married, but she gets $10 million in cash and sole possession of the couple’s $50 million waterfront mansion if Haruvi initiates the divorce or if he commits adultery or domestic violence. The police came to the couple’s house in late 2021 after Stephenson accused Haruvi of domestic violence, but he claims that no domestic violence occurred. Since then, they have been doing anything and everything to keep their divorce from being finalized.
Think Before You Make Outsized Promises and Secure Them With Millions of Dollars
You are asking for trouble if you sign a prenup that one spouse wants and the other does not want. In fact, if one spouse coerces the other into signing the prenup, the court will not enforce it in the event of a divorce. Even if both of you think that you both want the things that you are agreeing to in the prenup, you should go over it with a family law attorney, together and separately, before you sign. Your lawyer will walk you through all of the possible ways that the court could interpret the provisions of the prenup, including consequences that you did not consider. Revising the prenup before you sign it could make the difference between a happy marriage and a messy divorce or messy probate battle.
Contact Schwartz | White About Prenuptial Agreements
A South Florida family law attorney can help you ensure that the terms of your prenuptial agreement mean what you think they mean and that you will not get any surprises if you try to enforce it. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Source:
palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2023/08/29/palm-beach-divorce-abe-haruvi-giovana-stephenson-prenup-details-florida/70455247007/
