A prenuptial agreement is simply a contract two people sign before marriage that decides in advance how property, debts, and support will be handled if the marriage ends by divorce or death. A postnuptial agreement does the same job for couples who are already married. Far from planning for failure, most couples find that working through these questions together, while everyone is on good terms, removes a source of stress and protects both people.

These agreements are especially valuable in second marriages and blended families, where each spouse may want to guarantee that children from a prior relationship inherit what was always meant for them. They are also the standard tool for protecting a family business, a professional practice, an expected inheritance, or property one person worked years to build before the relationship began.

Alabama courts enforce prenuptial and postnuptial agreements that are entered into fairly. In practice that means three things: both parties fully disclose what they own and owe, both sign voluntarily without pressure, and the agreement is not grossly unfair. Timing matters too. An agreement signed well before the wedding, with each person having the chance to consult their own attorney, stands on much firmer ground than one signed on the courthouse steps.

One important note: our firm can only represent one party to the agreement. The other party is always free, and encouraged, to have their own attorney review it before signing. That independent review is one of the best investments in making the agreement stick.