Most married couples in the United States do not have a prenuptial agreement. There has been some evidence that these are growing more common, but they are certainly not the norm.
However, you may think it’s clear that having a prenup to protect your rights is important. If you go through a divorce, that contract can help you in many ways. Why doesn’t everyone do this?
It isn’t romantic
One of the top reasons is that asking your partner for a prenup is not seen as very romantic. This is a time when people want to focus on a happy, long-term relationship, so even suggesting the end of that relationship carries quite a negative stigma.
They’re worried about how the other person will react
Similarly, some people neglect to get a prenup because they’re worried the other person will be angry if they ask for one. They may even think their partner will call off the wedding if they bring it up. They want to get married, so they skip the prenup step and hope for the best.
They don’t know they need one
There are also a lot of people who don’t realize how financially complex divorce can be. They may just assume that they get to keep all of their own assets, not realizing that marital assets need to be divided, so they don’t know they need a prenup to start with.
A prenup can be a very powerful tool during a divorce. If you’ve been putting it off for any one of these reasons, it may be time to consider how to get the process started.