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Marital agreements include prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, and separation agreements. The purpose of these documents is to give a married couple control over the division of their combined property if they separate. While these arrangements may sometimes provoke controversy, they can offer realistic assurances that married spouses can exercise a level of control over the allocation of their property if a marriage ends in separation.
If you live in Greenwich and are engaged to be married, currently married, or anticipating separation from your spouse, leaving the distribution of your assets to chance can see you lose property that rightfully belongs to you. Forming a marital agreement with your spouse at any stage of your relationship might reduce the unpredictability and make things simpler for you, your spouse, and the divorce courts. Our Greenwich marital agreement lawyers can help you protect your rights and wishes if you and your partner are splitting up.
Under Connecticut law, a marriage dissolution may result from the death of one spouse, a decree of annulment, a grant of divorce, or a grant of legal separation. Any of these situations may lead to very difficult questions regarding how the shared and individually owned assets of a married couple will be sorted out. If partners who are married, planning to marry, or intending to split by divorce or legal separation wish to exercise control over the allocation of their combined property, they can form a marital agreement.
Connecticut does not follow a community-property law, nor a separate-property law, meaning that a married couple are not classified by law as a dual entity holding mutually owned assets. Each spouse is free to own property and financial assets independently. Someone in Greenwich who wants to submit a legal plan for the potential division of property might find it useful to work with our marital agreements lawyers who have the experience necessary in handling such complex and difficult cases.
Prenuptial agreements are relatively common contracts with which most people are more or less familiar. Governed under state law by the Connecticut Premarital Agreement Act, General Statutes of Connecticut (“G.S.C.”) §§46b-36a through 36j, they may address issues such as spousal support and the control and allocation of property upon divorce or death. While they allow spouses control over separation arrangements, they must meet conditions such as full financial disclosure to be enforceable.
Like premarital agreements, postnuptial agreements allow spouses to shape the outcome of a separation, but their formation takes place after marriage rather than before. Similarly, separation agreements are agreements that set forth the final, agreed upon provisions incident to a divorce or legal separation. Someone in any of these situations who would like to learn more about the benefits and formation of marital agreements can find helpful answers by contacting our Greenwich marital agreement attorneys at SGCBBW.
Legal determinations made when a marriage dissolves may have palpable effects on the life of either spouse. Allowing any couple to exercise control if their marriage takes an unexpected turn can make things easier for everyone involved.
Find out what you can do to prevent additional disruption and conflict after if you are facing separation or divorce. Arrange a consultation with our Greenwich marital agreement lawyers to discuss a contract that accounts for your and your spouse’s best interests. Call right away to get started and protect your property.