To Pre-nup or Not to Pre-Nup? by Crista Tharp

In this throw away society we have, divorce has become a much more common thing. In fact, it has almost become expected which is why I am writing this post.

We have a 51% divorce rate in this country. It is never a pleasant experience and for those families that go through it, it can leave lasting scars that are hurtful at best.

So, this leads us to the question, "should we have a pre-nuptial agreement?"

Be prepared because I have a very passionate view on this.

I do not believe in pre-nups - for ANY reason. I don't care if you are marrying a millionaire or if you are just trying to "protect" yourself. A pre-nup, in my opinion, is an automatic "get out free" card.

Why in the world would you prepare to fail? It makes the intending separation of the couple "easier." But does it? How many times have you heard of someone fighting their pre-nup in order to get more money or more property? What is the point?

A Marriage is a contract that you enter into willingly and hopefully, well educated and ready for. It is not an easy journey for all people but you stood before God (in most cases) and recited vows; specifically, for better or worse & for richer or for poorer. Both the top reasons for getting divorces.

If you have ANY concerns or thoughts that this marriage is not right for you - DON'T DO IT! It is that simple. Don't use the pre-nup as protection because it is anything but. It does not help you in any way.

We need more emphasis on how to prepare for marriage and the issues that arise so you can be prepared. Ask anyone who has been married for over 30 years and they will tell you it isn't all a bed of roses, but it was worth the time and effort to make it work.

So I suppose my final thought would be this: if you or your spouse can so easily forgo and ignore the contract of marriage - what's to say they will respect a pre-nuptial contract.

Food for thought.

Last changed: May 03 2010 at 6:35 PM