Prenups?

[Starfish]

I feel the same about prenups - that they imply that the marriage might fail; and they do make divorce easier.

Just a thought...depending on how they're written, isn't is possible that a prenup might also be a strong deterrent to a divorce, depending on the circumstances?

I too hate the idea of prenups, and would prefer things like wills, revocable living trusts, or what-have-you.

However, as one who got married (after 3 solid years with the person) with a THIS IS IT FOREVER, and WHAT'S MINE IS YOURS FOREVER attitude, I can say that unforeseeable, unimagineable injuries can happen that might make a prior agreement better than struggling through the legal system.

That said, I don't know what I would do next time around. I am a different person after my experience. Probably avoid the next time around!

[SouthernBelle]

Wills are generally not recordable documents until after death. They can also be changed. They have also been known to disappear.

You can draw up a pre-nup, record it, then if the original disappears, the recorded copy is as good as.

I've had quite good luck with them.

However, this differs from state to state.

One advantage to them is that both parties have a clear understanding of their financial situation and what the other expects.

I've seen some nasty situations, right at the graveyard.

I've also seen surviving SO with no marriage certificate kicked out of a home.

They aren't romantic, but they are binding. There are other ways to do it though.