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AA:I'mAviArdittiwithRosanneSkirble, andthisweekonWORDMASTER: Whatdoes "prenup" mean? That'saquestionfromlistenerMuhammadAliinKarachi, Pakistan.
RS:Aprenupisaprenuptialagreement, acontractbetweentwopeoplebeforetheymarryabouthowtheywillhandletheirfinancesandothermattersshouldthepartnershipend. AttorneyMarleneEskindMosesispresident-electoftheAmericanAcademyofMatrimonialLawyers.
MarleneEskindMoses
MARLENEMOSES: "Generallyspeaking, prenuptialagreementsarerecognizedasvalidagreementsamongstpeopleifthetermsoftheagreementarevalidand, moreover, ifeverythinginvolvingtheagreementtakesplace. Andthosekindsofthingsgenerallythatarerequiredisthatyouhavetohaveafullandcompleteunderstandinganddisclosureoftheassets, thereneedstobeindependentcounsel, andthereneedsnottobeanyduressoranyundueinfluence.
"Andweinterpretthattomeanalotoftimesthatyoudon'twantanagreementthatthepartiesaresigningrightwhenthey'regettingreadytowalkdowntheaisleandtheguestshavebeeninvited."
RS: "Whatwouldyoufindinaprenuptialagreement? Whatarecommonthings -- "
AA: "Terms. Andwhatwouldbevalidversusinvalidtermsinaprenup?"
MARLENEMOSES: "Well, somethingthatwouldbedetrimentaltothesociety. Imean, itcouldbethatthere'llbenochildsupportbeingpaid, andifsomebody'sgoingtobeonpublicwelfareorassistance, certainlythatwouldcreatedifficultiesforthestate. Butgenerallythekindsoftermsthatareincludedaretermshavingtodowithassetsand/orliabilitiesthatpeoplebringintothemarriage. Andyes, lotsoftimes, Ithinkearlyonprobablythewealthywerethosethatusedthemthemost -- "
AA: "Moviestarsandthelike."
MARLENEMOSES: "Yes, yes, absolutely. Butit'sbecomingreallymoreandmorecommonplace."
AA: "Eveninarecession? Imean, isthatplayinganyroleinwhatyou'reseeing, thesehavingtobeenforcedorpulledoutofadeskdrawerorsomething? Areyouseeinganyeffectfromtherecession?"
MARLENEMOSES: "Well, what'shappenedasaresultoftherecessionaretheassetsthatpeopleareprotectingareworthless. Butthey'restillbeingprotected. Andpeoplearethinkingabouttheirassetsgoingintoamarriage, thinkingabout, youknow, 'Well, IdowanttoholdontowhatlittleIdohavenowincomparisontowhatIhadbeforetherecession.'"
AA: "I'massumingit'sthelawyerwhowritesthefinaldocument ... orisituptothecoupletowriteit?"
RS: "Orcanyoudoyourown?"
thathasbeenreachedcanbescrutinized.
"Anexampleofaprenuptialagreementthatwouldn'tbeupheldwouldbeonethatwouldleavesomebodyoutpennilessandapubliccharge. Andthecourtthenwouldsay'Wecannotenforcethisprenuptialagreementbecauseit'snotequitable.'"
RS: "CanIaskyouapersonalquestion?"
MARLENEMOSES: "Sure."
RS: "Doyouhaveaprenuptialagreement -- areyoumarried?"
MARLENEMOSES: "Iammarried. It'llbethirty-sevenyearsinJune. WhenmyhusbandandIenteredinourmarriage, wewerejustreallysortofbuildingfromthebeginning. Andthat'soneofthoseexampleswhenyou'renotcominginwithmuchandyoubuildyourselves. Sotherereallywasn'taneedforustohaveaprenuptialagreementwhenwemarried."
RS: "Well, didyoumakeapostnuptialagreement?"
AA: "Dopeopledothat?"
MARLENEMOSES: "No, butpeopledodothat. Andwe'venothadaneedtodothat, butthatisanothercontractbetweenpeople. Andinthatinstanceitwouldbebetweenmarriedpeople. Andtherehastobeconsideration, therehastobeabargaininexchangeforenteringintotheagreement. It'snotjustkeepingthemarriagetogetherinsomeinstances. Therehastobearealreasontohaveapostnuptialagreement. Butpeoplearefindingthoseveryusefulaswell."
AA:MarleneEskindMosesinNashville, Tennessee, ispresident-electoftheAmericanAcademyofMatrimonialLawyers.
RS:Andthat'sWORDMASTERforthisweek. Archivesareatvoanews.com/wordmaster. WithAviArditti, I'mRosanneSkirble.