Johnson Legal Family Law - Prenup agreements

No one wants to think about Family Lawyers when they're getting married, but did you know that at its core, a marriage is a legal contract which significantly changes your legal status?

We are a respected team of specialist lawyers working exclusively in Family Law in Edinburgh but working across the whole of Scotland. In our experience, planning your wedding is the ideal time to consider a Prenuptial Agreement to determine what will happen should you decide to separate in the future.

When you get married, you agree to be bound by rights and responsibilities which can include:

• An obligation to pay maintenance to your spouse

• An obligation to share the assets and liabilities (your house, savings, pensions, credit card debt) acquired during the marriage, even if these are not jointly owned

• Automatic inheritance rights in favour of your spouse on your death

Given the fundamental legal changes saying “I do” can have, taking legal advice and drafting a Prenuptial Agreement could save you a lot of money and stress in the future. If you have children from a previous relationship or if you have inheritance money that you want to put towards a joint asset like a family home, a prenup is particularly important.

In a strong relationship, you can talk to each other about anything and have uncomfortable conversations about separation or death. No one has a crystal ball, so consider taking some advice before you get married to protect you both in the future.