Why Every Man Needs A Prenup

Relationship

What man in his right mind would willingly enter into a contract that could cause him to lose 50% of his investment on a whim? Well, that's marriage, guys. When you say "I do," your house, your business and all the rest of your assets are up for grabs should you get divorced.


And these days, with divorce rates skyrocketing and so many brutally mercenary women out there who think that they're entitled to your hard-earned money, getting your fiancee to ink a prenup is a necessity, not a choice. That's why we're here to explain why every man needs a prenup.

A prenup protects your assets

Simply put, a prenuptial agreement is a legal document signed before your marriage that specifies very clearly how your assets will be divided in the event of death or divorce.

You absolutely have to protect yourself with a prenup if:

You own major assets such as a home, stocks or retirement funds You may be receiving an inheritance or lottery winnings You have children and/or grandchildren from a previous marriage You own all or part of a business You have a significantly larger amount of assets than your wife-to-be and/or she has substantial debt You are starting out in a potentially lucrative profession such as law or medicine You are likely to achieve great success in your business or career

You aren't sure about your fiancee's motives You have suffered a previous divorce

Financial protection

The next reason why every man needs a prenup has to do with protecting yourself financially. Nailing down a prenup before tying the knot is savvy financial planning in an era in which the majority of women use marriage and divorce as a business. Let's face it: There is a huge financial incentive for a woman to get divorced from a man. Women can enter into marriage as paupers and walk away millionaires.

Depending on where you live, your soon-to-be-ex-wife can legally coerce you into handing over 50% (or more) of the house you built, the assets you accumulated and the business you started years before you even met her, even if she's never lifted a finger to help you -- and even if she institutes the divorce just because she's "bored" and "wants to find herself" or she cheated on you.

No woman deserves half a man's assets just for saying "I do." The harsh reality is that marriage is a legally binding contract; once you sign on that dotted line, she has you by the checkbook and she knows it.

Bring up the prenup


Of course, as soon as you bring up the subject of a prenup, the average woman will hit the ceiling, since in her eyes you're about to abrogate her entire reason for getting married in the first place.

She'll protest that a prenup kills romance. She'll burst into tears, sobbing that you don't really love her. She'll fly into a rage and go running to her mother, squealing about what a horrible man you are and that you don't trust her. She'll blame you for predicting divorce. She'll cut off sex or -- with even more cunning manipulation -- she'll give you the best ride you've ever had before she cuts it off to show you just what you'll be missing if you insist on that nasty prenup.

Don't fall for her little tricks; treat marriage as a business, just like she does. Don't kid yourself: If she were about to enter into your marriage contract with more assets than you have, you'd better believe she'd have you endorsing the most ironclad prenup a lawyer can draw up (and she wouldn't even begin to tolerate a squeak of protest from you).

How to handle the subject

Honesty is the best policy. Let your potential wife know your views on prenuptial agreements very early in your serious relationship. Talk about the subject openly, logically and sincerely.

Be firm in your position; if she starts to object, hold your ground. Explain to her that a prenuptial agreement protects the assets of both parties involved. What if she received an unexpected inheritance or won the lottery and you got divorced? Would it be fair for a court to award you half her assets?

Tell her that it's like investing in health insurance: It doesn't mean that you're going to get sick, but you're just protecting yourself if the worst should happen.

A prenup has nothing to do with love or trust; it's about making sure that a man and wife take out of the marriage what they went in with, and equitably distribute the assets they accrued during the course of the union.

If you don't want to bring the subject up yourself, have a meeting with your lawyer, CPA or other financial planner and ask him to advise a prenup to your intended. But don't be hoodwinked -- make sure she discloses all of her finances, especially debt. And ensure the agreement is set in stone long before the wedding. This will effectively negate any appearance of "coercion," a trick many women are using these days to get courts to void prenuptial contracts.

For better or for worse

Ultimately, marriages should be about love, partnership and romance, not finances. But you have to watch your back. Some women have an agenda. They'll purr about love and romance while their fingers are surreptitiously sneaking the wallet out of your pocket. And that's the beauty of a prenuptial agreement: It effectively stops women from profiteering from marriage and divorce.

So, just in case better does become worse, you shouldn't think twice about having your future wife sign on the dotted line. Saying "I do" is fine, but get it in writing first. And if she refuses to marry you because of your insistence on a prenup, get rid of her -- it might be a sign of bad things to come.