Pre-nup: lack of trust or financial security?

Recently, I have seen a lot of discussion on pre-nups. Some people are totally against it and others are all for it. I don’t think there are many out there that may be on the fence about this topic. All in all, let’s face it. Nobody likes to part ways with their hard earned money. I remember having a discussion with one of my close male friends in regards to pre-nups. Oddly enough, we both agreed that pre-nups are the way to go in today’s society.

Love is an interesting thing. Many people will fall in love and expect that happily ever after. Unfortunately, in today’s generation we are over whelmed with the growing number of divorce cases arising each year. In 2009 alone, 40-50% of marriages ended in divorce. That is a sad statistic when only half of us are staying married and the rest are fleeing from relationships.

A lot of people hate to make the comparison of a relationship to business, but let’s be honest here people! A marriage is an agreement to work together through thick and thin. Through the good times and the bad. Through sickness and health. This applies to a business partnership as well. Both parties agree to hold their equal weight in order to make the business work. So the same morality goes for a marriage. In a business they ensure they cover their finances from the gate. Why would it be any different for a marriage? If the marriage doesn’t work, both parties should walk away with what they brought in. It’s sickening to hear that one party ends up with a crazy amount of alimony and for what???? Just the fact that you walked down the aisle with the person!?

Now this is just my opinion and many may disagree. In today’s various situations, I believe that having a pre-nup before you get married is actually a smart move. There are too many people just marrying for a financial upgrade or to reap the benefits from someone’s fame. Love may or may not be a key factor in a marriage, but everyone has to keep their assets safe. We are in a struggling economy and the last thing one needs is some perpetrator trying to steal what you worked so hard to get and maintain.

On another note, there are many court cases that get nasty. Especially when there are children involved. Many marriages start off with step-children and then they add to the family. A pre-nup can ensure that the children from outside the marriage are not left flapping in the winds when the marriage goes sour. The children shouldn’t suffer because daddy’s new ex-wife decided to clean out the bank account through alimony.

What better way than to safeguard yourself then to put it in writing and sign on the dotted line? It shouldn’t boil down to trust and loving the other person. Nowadays you have to play it smart and realistic. People change and people are not always genuine. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where the other half gets the house, cars, and off-shore bank accounts. Then you are stuck making minimum wage and kicking yourself for not doing a pre-nup in the first place. Like Tina said, “What’s love got to do with it?”