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Difference between revisions of "Marriage Agreements"
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→The possible subjects of a marriage agreement
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*How will the spouses divide their property and debts after the marriage? Will there be any division of property at all? | *How will the spouses divide their property and debts after the marriage? Will there be any division of property at all? | ||
*Will the spouses share in the value or cost of property bought during the marriage, like a car or a house? | *Will the spouses share in the value or cost of property bought during the marriage, like a car or a house? | ||
*Will the parties have a share in property brought into the marriage by one of the spouses? | *Will the parties have a share in any excluded property brought into the marriage by one of the spouses? | ||
*How will unexpected windfalls like inheritances and lottery wins be dealt with? Will they be shared or kept separate? | *How will unexpected windfalls like inheritances and lottery wins be dealt with? Will they be shared or kept separate? | ||
*How will household chores be shared during the marriage? | *How will household chores be shared during the marriage? | ||
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*How will children born during the marriage be cared for after separation? | *How will children born during the marriage be cared for after separation? | ||
Except for the restrictions about parental responsibilities, parenting time, and child support, the possible subjects of a marriage agreement are limited only by imagination, common sense, and the law of contracts. I've seen some fairly unique marriage agreements | Except for the restrictions on agreements about parental responsibilities, parenting time, and child support, the possible subjects of a marriage agreement are limited only by your imagination, common sense, and the law of contracts. I've seen some fairly unique marriage agreements over the years, including agreements, likely unenforceable, that talk about the frequency of sex and who will take out the garbage. | ||
However, as a general rule of thumb, it's best to deal with the concrete things that exist at the time of the marriage (such as children from a previous relationship, existing debts, and existing property) and things that the couple can reasonably expect to happen during the marriage in the short term (such as receiving an inheritance or a court award). Dealing with things that ''might'' happen (like new children, a move to a new town, or lottery winnings) is really speculative, and it's almost impossible to know how they should be dealt with if, at some unknown point in the future, the marriage comes to an end. | However, as a general rule of thumb, it's best to deal with the concrete things that exist at the time of the marriage (such as children from a previous relationship, existing debts, and existing property) and things that the couple can reasonably expect to happen during the marriage in the short term (such as receiving an inheritance or a court award). Dealing with things that ''might'' happen (like new children, a move to a new town, or lottery winnings) is really speculative, and it's almost impossible to know how they should be dealt with if, at some unknown point in the future, the marriage comes to an end. | ||
==Resources and links== | ==Resources and links== | ||