Some Assets That You Shouldn't Forget to Include in Your Prenup
When couples decide to sign prenuptial agreements before getting married, they often think to include such valuable assets as their home, their cars or the investment portfolios. They rarely think about including some of the more sentimental assets or financial obligations they may have though. They're these excluded assets that often become highly fought over during a divorce.
One of the more sentimental assets that is often left out of a prenup includes beloved pets. With pets, you can use your prenup to define who will retain custody of both existing and future pets if you two split up. In much the same way you would discuss child support and custody, you can spell out in your prenup who'll be financially responsible for the care of your pet when you divorce.
Another sentimental asset often left out of prenups is what becomes of the engagement ring or jewelry in general. Under most state's property division laws, engagement rings are seen as gifts. As such, you can list it as one of your pieces of property you wish to protect by the prenup.
If you had a business going into your marriage, then you already may have thought to protect it within your prenup. You, however, may not consider future appreciations in value that it may have. Unless you include the current and future valuations, then it opens up the door for your ex to wage a claim to a portion of your business when you divorce.
While many couples think about protecting their assets when they look to sign prenups, few spouses actually think of them as a way to shield themselves from being held financially liable for debts a spouse amasses. Spouses can greatly benefit from documenting debts and then designating who is responsible for paying off each if they divorce.
Aside from the aforementioned, there are many other assets, such as intellectual property rights, that an individual may look to protect from being split up in a divorce. If you are concerned about what will become of your property if you divorce, then you may benefit from discussing your legal matter with a Naples prenuptial agreement attorney.
Source: Brides, "The 6 things you’re forgetting to include in your prenup," Jamie Mackey, accessed Oct. 27, 2017