12Law Arrow 12Law Arrow  Easy Questions  
12Law Arrow 12Law Arrow Instant Legal Documents
 
 
FINANCIAL & MARITAL

Cohabitation Agreement coming soon!
Separation Agreement coming soon!
No-Fault Divorce coming soon!
Bankruptcy coming soon!
 
 

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Prenuptial Agreement in Zip Code 21036

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Prenuptial Agreement in Zip Code 21036


It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
 
- Friedrich Nietzsche


A prenuptial agreement can be a great tool for couple to establish the financial rights of each spouse in unfortunate event of a divorce including protecting a family business, securing personal assets, and taking care of children.

In some states each party is required to have an attorney and in some states you don't need a lawyer to create a prenuptial agreement. A prenup must be in writing to be legally valid in every state. It is in your best interest to use an attorney drafted Prenuptial Agreement. Check out a free preview of an attorney drafted Prenuptial Agreement at 12Law.com.

Both parties must voluntarily execute the agreement, engage in full disclosure of their assets and liabilities and must sign the document in the presence of a notary public. Rules for prenups vary from state to state, and each contract will be evaluated on its individual merits. Some states require legal representation for both parties.

There are several conditions that can make a prenuptial agreement unenforceable: 1) the agreement is fraudulent because one party undervalued assets or failed to disclose them at all; 2) the agreement was coerced, signed under duress or signed without mental capacity; 3) one party didn't read the document before signing; 4) one spouse was given no time for consideration; 5) the paperwork wasn't properly signed and executed; 6) one party signed without proper legal representation (some states require it); and 7) The agreement is egregiously lopsided or contains invalid provisions such as no child support, frequency of sexual relations, visits by in-laws, etc.

The first step in the process is for the couple to agree on the essential terms of the prenup. Even in draft format, these terms should be in writing so that there is no miscommunication or misunderstanding. If prenup is drafted by a lawyer who is working for one party, it may be one-sided and adversarial and may hurt to process of getting to an agreement.

While prenups are often used to protect the assets of a wealthy fiancée, a couple with children from prior marriages may use a prenup to spell out what will happen to their property when they die, so that they can pass on separate property to their children. Without a prenup, a surviving spouse might have the right to claim a large portion of the other spouse's property, leaving much less for the kids.

Couples with or without children, wealthy or not, may simply want to clarify their financial rights and responsibilities during marriage. Or they may want to specify in advance how their property will be divided and whether or not either spouse will receive alimony (some states won't allow a spouse to give up the right to alimony). Prenups can also be used to protect spouses from each other's debts.

If you don't make a prenuptial agreement, your state's laws determine who owns the property that you acquire during your marriage, as well as what happens to that property at divorce or death. Property acquired during the marriage is known as either marital or community property. State law may even have a say in what happens to some of the property you owned before you were married.

In summary, for a prenup to be effective, the prenup must be: 1) written (oral prenups are not valid); 2) executed voluntarily and without coercion; 3) executed only after full disclosure of assets and/or liabilities; 4) conscionable; 5) executed by both parties, preferably in front of witnesses (or a notary) and 6) written in a recordable format.

Only you can decide if hiring a lawyer is right for you. Check out 12Law.com for listings of lawyers in your neighborhood.
 
Personalize & Print a Free MD Premarital Create This Document
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Related Legal Services near Zip Code 21036
Atkinson & Mentzer
7701 Belair Rd
Nottingham, MD 21236
(410) 882-9595
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Weitzel Nomiki
7652 Belair Rd
Nottingham, MD 21236
(410) 663-9404
Attorneys
Jill A Snyder Law Office
17 Windflower Ct
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 864-8788
Attorneys, Estate Planning, Probate, & Living Trusts
Total Tax & Payroll Inc
313 Main St # A
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-8460
Attorneys, Tax Return Preparation
Carter Bruce R
18 Glyndon Dr
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-8460
Attorneys, Tax Return Preparation, Legal Service Plans
Thomas Braskey & Hare PA
144 Main St
Grantsville, MD 21536
(301) 746-8186
Attorneys
Hayward Colette
105 Thorden Rd
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 526-7987
Attorneys
Galbreath Law Offices PC
2516 Chestnut Woods Ct
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 628-7770
General Practice Attorneys, Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Attorneys, Attorneys
Westerberg Scott W
44 Westminster Pike
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 526-7373
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Pielke Emil B
7937 Belair Rd
Nottingham, MD 21236
(410) 661-6629
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Hoffman Leon
44 Westminster Pike
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-4949
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Smith James T Jr Lwyr
107 W Chestnut Hill Ln
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-4895
Attorneys
The Craddock Law Office, LLC
8100 Sandpiper Circle 108B
Baltimore, MD 21236
(443) 295-4869
Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys, Divorce Attorneys, DUI & DWI Attorneys, Business Law Attorneys
The Craddock Law Office, LLC
8100 Sandpiper Cir 108B
Nottingham, MD 21236
(443) 295-4869
Divorce Attorneys,  Business Law Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  DUI & DWI Attorneys
Cerri Michael
11709 Reisterstown Rd
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 800-4806
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Howard D Gregory
298 Butler Rd
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 526-4734
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Moore Carney Ryan & Lattanzi
4111 E Joppa Rd Ste 201
Nottingham, MD 21236
(410) 529-4600
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
P Paul Cocoros Law Offices
8904 Belair Rd
Nottingham, MD 21236
(410) 256-4480
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Ronald S. Kowitz
44 Westminster PIKE
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 702-4383
Personal Injury Law Attorneys, Attorneys
Goldbloom Donald S
12590 National Pike
Grantsville, MD 21536
(301) 245-4188
Attorneys,  Bankruptcy Services,  Legal Service Plans,  Bankruptcy Law Attorneys,  Criminal Law Atto
Yateman Lance
14015 Log Trail Way
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 526-3844
General Practice Attorneys
Manko & Manko
85 Main St # 1A
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-2448
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Austenson P B
227 Main St
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-2250
Attorneys
Bodie Nagle Dolina Smith
143 Main St
Reisterstown, MD 21136
(410) 833-1221
Attorneys
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US