Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

Experienced North Dallas Lawyer

More and more often, couples want to protect themselves with prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements. It simply makes sense to plan for any situation on your own terms, instead of being subject to the community property laws and practices of the Texas family law system.

Attorney Jimmy Ira Carter can help you with any questions you have about prenuptial or postnuptial agreements. He has more than 12 years of experience helping people throughout the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, including Collin County, Denton County, Dallas County, and Tarrant County. Contact us for a consultation.

Types of Agreements

There are basically two different types of agreements. Either of the following can make sure you are not subject to the Texas laws concerning divorce and other aspects of family law:

• Prenuptial agreements, which are made before the date of the marriage and affirmed after it by both members of a couple.
• Postnuptial agreements, which are made and affirmed after the date of a marriage. A postnuptial agreement should be accompanied by a property division for property gained during the marriage. Sometimes a couple anticipates a possible divorce, and signs a postnuptial agreement to give them a predetermined outcome if reconciliation fails.

For most people, such agreements simply give them some extra protection and peace of mind. After all, more than half of all marriages end in divorce, and you never know what the future could bring. A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can help you avoid the protracted, expensive litigation involved in a nasty divorce.

Property Division

Prenuptial or postnuptial agreements can cover many issues, but the chief one is usually that of property. Normally, Texas is a "community property" state, meaning that, in a divorce, any property gained during a marriage is split evenly between the couple. But in a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, you can make your own rules, and can even identify specifically which property belongs to which person.

The wording of agreements must be very specific. For example, property can become co-mingled because of interest growing on assets. You need a lawyer who will make sure such issues are addressed.

Protection from Lawsuits

Sometimes a prenup can be part of a package that helps you avoid losing significant money in lawsuits. The agreement can serve as a sort of "firewall" for half of the assets owned by you and your spouse, helping ensure that anyone suing you can never reach half of the estate owned by your spouse.

Contact Us

Contact us any time with questions for our attorney about prenuptial or postnuptial agreements. Call us at (972) 385-3952 and you will either get through immediately or we will get back to you within 24 hours. We take all major credit cards, and can make evening and weekend consultations by appointment.