Collaborative Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements in New York

At Vaz Law, we believe prenups have gotten a bad rap. When approached thoughtfully, these conversations can actually strengthen a relationship. Talking about money, property, careers, family expectations, and financial responsibilities while you are communicating well and planning a future together can create clarity and understanding and potentially avoid expensive disputes and litigation if circumstances change years later.

We also do not believe these agreements need to begin from an adversarial place. The process can be customized to the couple. When appropriate, financial professionals or other trusted experts can be brought into the conversation to help address more complicated issues. For couples who need help reaching agreement on particular terms, we can also use a mediation-based approach to facilitate those conversations and help both partners work toward mutually acceptable solutions.

A Prenuptial Agreement can address separate and marital property, income, businesses and professional practices, real estate, retirement assets, debt, inheritances, family wealth, potential support obligations, and many other financial considerations. It can be especially valuable for individuals entering marriage with significant assets, children from a prior relationship, a business or professional practice, anticipated inheritances, family wealth, or simply a desire to establish clear financial expectations before saying "I do."

A Postnuptial Agreement can address many of the same issues after a couple is already married. Couples may consider one because their circumstances have changed, a business has been created or grown, an inheritance has been received or is anticipated, one spouse has stepped away from a career, financial responsibilities have shifted, or they simply want greater clarity about their rights and responsibilities going forward.

And these agreements do not have to be limited to traditional financial assets. For many couples, pets are family too. A Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement can address plans for the care of a family pet, including who will keep the pet if the couple separates, how veterinary expenses and other costs will be handled, and other expectations surrounding the pet's future care.

Every relationship is different, which is why these agreements can be highly customized. There is no single formula for what a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement should look like. The agreement should reflect the assets, priorities, concerns, and goals of the people entering into it.

Our goal is to help couples approach these conversations with openness rather than fear. A Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement does not have to represent an expectation that your marriage will fail. Done thoughtfully, it can be an opportunity to have important conversations now, understand one another's expectations, and create greater confidence and clarity about the future you are building together.

Includes drafting plus one hour of review and edits when terms are already agreed upon and no mediation is needed. If mediation is needed to reach agreement on the terms first, the applicable hourly mediation pricing applies before the $3,500 drafting fee.

Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements FAQs