Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Prenups and the Elephant in the Room: A Handbook for the Prenup Process
    Prenups and the Elephant in the Room: A Handbook for the Prenup Process
    Prenups and the Elephant in the Room: A Handbook for the Prenup Process
    Ebook182 pages1 hour

    Prenups and the Elephant in the Room: A Handbook for the Prenup Process

    By Deborah Hope Wayne

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    "Prenups and the Elephant in the Room: A Handbook for the Prenup Process" is a practical, informative guide to negotiating a prenup. It provides a user-friendly framework for how the process of arriving at a prenup works-from the beginning considerations and conversations to the final product. The book provides guidance on determining whether a prenup is a wise choice, reasons to have a prenup, and how to have productive negotiations. It also addresses common misconceptions. The underlying premise of the book is that the negotiations for a prenuptial agreement present an opportunity to begin marriage with a clear sense of each other's values and priorities. The goal of the book is to help make the user's own process more productive and meaningful.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDeborah Hope Wayne, P.C.
    Release dateFeb 22, 2017
    ISBN9780997942224
    Prenups and the Elephant in the Room: A Handbook for the Prenup Process

    Related to Prenups and the Elephant in the Room

    Related ebooks

    Law For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Estate Planning for Surviving Spouses: What to Do ASAP

      Sep 18, 2018

      After the death of a spouse, most of the attention for legal services is paid to administering the estate of the decedent. Often times, little time is spent focusing on the legal needs of the surviving spouse. From personal experience, I can tell y

      4 min read

    • Article

      You Have a Will - Is It Time for an Estate Plan?

      Jun 21, 2018

      Most people have a will. But a simple will often doesn't cover some complex issues facing your heirs, which is why I recommend an estate plan. I work with doctors, accountants and other professionals, small-business owners and people getting ready to

      3 min read

    • Article

      2021 Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date?

      Jul 28, 2021

      Even though it’s critical for your assets, family and legacy, estate planning tends to fall to the bottom of people’s to-do lists. What new parent wants to draft a will while finalizing a nursery paint color? Who wants to talk extensively about life

      3 min read

    • Article

      The DIY Divorce

      Feb 12, 2019

      The DIY Divorce
      15 min read

    • Article

      Team Building

      Aug 10, 2022

      Team Building
      4 min read

    • Article

      7 Golden Rules for Investing and Advanced Estate Planning

      Oct 12, 2018

      We've seen this movie before -- sky-high stock prices, sky-high real estate prices and the Fed raising interest rates. We also saw how those times ended in 2001 and 2008. At this point, my clients are looking to preserve and protect their wealth, so

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Husband’s View

      Aug 3, 2021

      Anna’s husband Phil Robinson says: It took Anna about five attempts to explain The 80/80 Marriage. My initial read of it was that, as long as I spent 80% of my time taking out bins and listening to Anna talk about her dreams, I could spend 20% playin

      1 min read

    • Article

      A Smart Option for Transferring Wealth Through Generations: The Dynasty Trust

      Oct 2, 2021

      Under the new Biden administration, the president has made his intentions clear about the potential to change the tax code. I believe tax increases are forthcoming; he’s already stated his position on income taxes and capital gains taxes as well as e

      4 min read

    • Article

      How to Get a Loved One to Visit an Estate Planning Attorney Before It's Too Late

      May 11, 2020

      Not long ago I wrote about "Mario," an exceptional handyman hired by attorney "Danny" to remove a concrete shuffleboard court in his back yard. Through the project, Danny got to know Mario, and they became friends. He learned that Mario owned a house

      4 min read

    • Article

      Retirement Is as Simple as 1-2-3

      Jul 23, 2019

      Many people think climbing up the mountain is the greatest challenge to a climb. However, getting down the mountain is something many people underestimate. A successful climb doesn't end at the peak; it ends when you get back home safe and sound.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Update Estate Plans in Light of New Tax Law

      Apr 28, 2018

      The new tax law has led some seniors to assume that they can delete estate planning from their to-do lists. But that is a dangerous assumption. Yes, the new tax law roughly doubles the federal estate-tax exemption, to about $11.2 million per person-

      4 min read

    • Article

      The High Cost of Divorce

      Jun 23, 2021

      The High Cost of Divorce
      7 min read

    • Article

      ‘PLEASE Don’t Go!’

      Feb 17, 2020

      ‘PLEASE Don’t Go!’
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Creative Way to Divorce-Proof Your Premarital Assets

      Dec 28, 2020

      Whoever said “money can’t buy happiness” has never paid for a divorce. Paul Tommins should know … he’s paid for two of them. This is an area we are regularly contacted about. His divorces – expensive as they were – came with silver linings.  Free of

      2 min read

    • Article

      Why Everyone Needs an Estate Plan

      Aug 30, 2018

      I'm unmarried and childless, so I didn't see the point in having a will until last year, when my mom planted the idea. Even now--like many of my peers--I am procrastinating. According to a recent survey from Caring.com, 78% of millennials don't have

      2 min read

    • Article

      What Have You Learned From Business Mistakes?

      Oct 4, 2021

      Asif Ahmed Managing Director of Acclivity and author of The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs www.acclivity.co “When I first started out in business, I hadn’t fully appreciated the importance of having contracts in place to support every legal relat

      7 min read

    • Article

      Financial Advice I Would Give My Younger Self – Planning for a Young Family

      Aug 2, 2022

      As a planning expert frequently on the lecture tour, I often get asked, “What else should we know?”  I always look at the younger audience members and think – if only I knew this back when.  That’s the motivation behind this expert series on planning

      4 min read

    • Article

      On Marriage and Money: A CFP's Perspective

      May 14, 2018

      For those in a committed relationship or recently engaged, there's lots of online advice about how to get through wedding planning and still have a wedding. From the "irritable bride/groom syndrome" to the planning-induced insomnia and worries about

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Co-finance Conversation

      Jul 21, 2021

      The Co-finance Conversation
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Prewedding Talk For Modern Couples

      May 20, 2019

      A Prewedding Talk For Modern Couples
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Prenups and the Elephant in the Room

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Prenups and the Elephant in the Room - Deborah Hope Wayne

      Copyright © 2016 by Deborah Hope Wayne, P.C.

      All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

      Printed in the United States of America

      ISBN: 978-0-9979422-2-4

      Editing and design by Joanne Shwed, Backspace Ink (www.backspaceink.com)

      eBook adaptation by Kevin Callahan / BNGO Books (www.bngobooks.com)

      Illustrations by Emily Tomasik

      Congratulations!

      Your engagement is a happy and exciting time. The smart couple plans for a lifetime together, not just the wedding date. With proper thought and planning, a prenuptial agreement (prenup) can provide you with a great roadmap for the years to come!

      For Emil, Blake, and Brett—with love.

      Why the elephant?

      While prenups are becoming more popular, it is sometimes difficult to know how to approach the topic. The prenup can be the elephant in the room—the idea that nobody wants to discuss. I invite you to use this handbook to explore how a prenup can help build a strong foundation for your marriage.

      This book is meant to give you a general framework for how prenups operate and how the process of arriving at a prenup works. The information in this book may help you determine whether a prenup is a wise choice. It should not take the place of the information and insight your attorney can provide based upon your individual circumstances and your state’s laws. Legal agreements are increasingly complex, and the details of your agreement need to be well developed and clear.

      I hope you find this book useful as you make decisions about your life together!

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      Chapter 1: Your Journey to a Prenup Begins Here!

      What considerations should you keep in mind while reading this book?

      How do you set a foundation for good communication?

      Chapter 2: Prenup: A Unique Plan for Your Marriage

      What is a prenup?

      Chapter 3: Working through Common Misconceptions

      How should you face misconceptions about prenups?

      How can you put misconceptions about prenups to rest?

      Chapter 4: Reasons to Get a Prenup

      How can you take a proactive approach to your life together?

      Commonly included topics

      Items excluded from a prenup

      Platinum prenups

      Platinum checklist

      How can you better understand your economic partnership and the prenup?

      Chapter 5: Prenups and Process

      How should you pick a professional?

      Considerations for choosing an attorney

      What are your process choices?

      Traditional route

      Collaborative law

      Mediation

      What happens next?

      Prenup timeline: from meeting your attorney to signing the final agreement

      Prenup timeline: a further look

      Chapter 6: Bringing Up the Prenup

      How will you maintain dignity and respect during the negotiations?

      How do you bring up the prenup?

      Basic ideas to help the path to a prenup go more smoothly

      Chapter 7: Client Interviews

      What do clients say when they look back on their prenup experience?

      Interview #1: Dan

      Interview #2: Antoinette

      Interview #3: Jennifer

      Chapter 8: Family Involvement in the Prenup Process

      Guidelines for family members involved in the prenup process

      What is my role as a family member?

      Chapter 9: Validity

      What is the key to an effective prenup?

      Validity requirements

      Chapter 10: Hypothetical Case Reviews

      Common questions raised by the hypothetical case reviews

      Conclusion

      Appendix A: No-Nups (or Cohabitation Agreements)

      Appendix B: Postnups

      Appendix C: Sample Financial Statement

      Appendix D: Goals

      Appendix E: Prenup Checklist

      About the Author

      Landmarks

      Cover

      Title-Page

      Frontmatter

      Table of Contents

      Start of Content

      Acknowledgments

      My professional choices have been based upon my strong desire to help people meet the challenges that life brings. I enjoy feeling that my work has a positive effect on the many diverse and wonderful people I meet in my practice and in my classroom.

      The idea behind this book was to help people think about how they want their marital relationship to work from a financial and social perspective. I thank Kristyn Okress, Esq., for her truly invaluable assistance in the research and development of this book. Kristyn helped to make this project meaningful and fun during the many hours we spent brainstorming about how to convey the concepts in the book. Kristyn is a highly skilled attorney with a very bright future. I am also grateful to my illustrator Emily Tomasik for her amazing creativity and artistic ability. I thank my friend and colleague Michelle Brody, PhD, for sharing her thoughts on the process of writing a book.

      Last, and in no way least, I want to acknowledge my husband Emil, who is my rock. He is always there for me and has been my incredible partner in every way for close to 40 years. (That includes time before and during the marriage, for those of you calculating my age!) Emil has been supportive of every project I have chosen and has kept me going through the many ups and downs of life. My wish for you is a strong partnership like mine.

      CHAPTER 1

      Your Journey to a Prenup Begins Here!

      Create a workable plan that is unique to your situation.

      What considerations should you keep in mind while reading this book?

      I am writing this book from my perspective as a New York family lawyer and mediator. As you read, you will see that how you arrive at a final agreement is just as important as what goes into the agreement. Make sure you stay focused on the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship in reaching your goals, and allow your attorney to provide advice and counsel on your particular situation and help you navigate the prenup process.

      In my own family law practice, I very often see that it is hard for people to discuss finances. This led me to think about how to address finances in a positive way early on in the marriage or even before saying I do. Thinking and talking about expectations regarding finances and lifestyle before the marriage help to promote a healthy relationship.

      There will be times throughout the book where I may give my opinion on

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1