Prenups for Unmarried Couples – Do You Need One?

by admin on August 22, 2011

When you’re about to get married there’s a lot to think about and discuss. One of the least pleasant topics is the prenup, but it’s necessary when entering into the legally binding act of marriage.

However, did you know that those partners, who haven’t signed the papers and had the ceremony, can still have certain legal documents between them?
In recent years it there has been a large increase in couples, who aren’t married, speaking to lawyers about what is called “A CoHabitation Agreement.” This legal agreement has been seen more and more with same sex couples because a lot of states still do not acknowledge same sex marriages.

Now there’s a lot of you thinking, why do I need this if I’m just dating someone? Well, that’s something you will need to think about and discuss with your partner when the time comes. It’s not always something you need to decide after date #3, but once you pass the beginning of a relationship and decide to move in together, a cohabitation agreement, or unmarried prenup, may be a fantastic idea.

Once two people join lives, even if it’s not with a marriage license, they begin to share a lot more than a dinner and a movie a couple times a week. So, what happens to the T.V. you two bought together? Or the furniture you used to decorate your new home? And the bills you have been sharing?

There’s so much more that goes into a serious relationship than just some hugs and kisses and sweet nothings whispered into ears. You begin to share your lives, this means belongings, bills and typically living arrangements. Though no one ever thinks of this when beginning a relationship, and who would want to? That’s just a negative thought to start it all off.

The reality of everything is that not every relationship lasts for the long haul, and in fact the divorce rate in America has surpassed 50%. Relationship counselors have seen that this 50% average of divorces is the same if not more when dealing with unmarried couples. So, the beginning of half the couples, will be abruptly followed by the end.

A study has shown that more couples are ending up in court after a break-up due to situations, finances and material things just like these. This is a great article that dives in a little deeper – Unmarried couples opting for a pre-nup.

Just because you’re not married doesn’t mean you don’t face some similar issues after the fact. Not unlike a divorce a break-up can be messy and emotionally draining. With so much money, time, energy and emotions involved in the entire relationship, it’s hard enough to end it let alone try to figure out who gets what.

Like any other situation there are two sides. And not everyone sees an unmarried prenup “worth it” or really “necessary.” These people do raise a good point, Kelley Long , a freelance finance consultant in Chicago, said “It came down to, well, if I have to protect myself against this stuff, we probably shouldn’t be living together.

As Kelley said, if you truly need to worry about all of the arrangements for when it ends, and how messy the break-up COULD be, well then, perhaps you shouldn’t be taking this next step with this person. But that my friend, is another story entirely.

15 Responses to “Prenups for Unmarried Couples – Do You Need One?
  • guest says:

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    • Currencyspeculatortrader says:

      I am rich and 40 years old and a native hawaiian.  I have never been married, engaged, and have never fathered any children.  From the age of 19 to 33 years of age I’ve had 23 different girlfriends.  The longevity of the relationships lasted from 1 month to 8 months.  And, never once, have I ever been convinced, by any of those women, that being married to them would do me more justice than staying single.  Finally, at the age of 33, with more experience at how women think and how contradictory there actions are, I decided to stay single.  Luckily, I wasn’t with any of them long enough for them to try to sue me for anything that I didn’t do with or to them.  I’ve been single for 7 years now and I feel more free as a result with zero burdens on my shoulders.  Better yet, I feel no burden, no baby mamma drama, and no compromise as a result of being with a women whose appreciation level decreases with time.  Furthermore, and more importantly, I feel more secure being by myself than I ever did being in a relationship with any of the 23 ex-girlfriends I’ve ever had!  And, that my friend, is why I am single and will remain single until the day I die 🙂

      I can do what I want, when I want, and however I please whenever I am pleased to do it..whatever that may be..

      Mahalo from Hawaii,

      Hilton

  • I say just don’t let her move in. There is just too much of a risk.

  • You have to do these legal documents even if you aren’t married.

  • How To Rap says:

    This is crazy. Even if you are living together you still need to have a legal contract. Have to protect yourself.

  • You don’t want to have to give her a whole lot of money so I say to get the legal papers just in case.

  • Jackfireside says:

    Once upon a time, A Prince
    asked a beautiful Princess
    Will you marry me? The Princess
    said NO And the Prince lived happily
    ever after and rode motorcycles and
    fucked skinny big titted broads and
    hunted and raced cares and went to
    naked bars and dated women half his
    age and drank whiskey, beer, and
    Captain Morgan and never heard
    bitching and never paid child support
    or alimony and ate pussies and
    ass-fucked cheerleaders and kept his
    house and guns and never got cheated
    on while he was at work and all his
    friends and family thought he was fuckin
    cool as hell and had tons of money in
    the bank and left the toilet seat up….the end.

    • ProudlyUnaffiliated says:

      Wonderful work! Many laughs, the truth did not hurt at all.

    • why bother says:

      I just started working in a small company. Before I get into this, Historically, I never married. But I cohabited with a wonderful, smart, exotic middle eastern woman. It was said that if you think you should marry, the foreign women are who you should marry. But I knew enough about her that she would become just like an American woman after the first kid. So we split. No money out of my pocket or hers. No lawyer, etc.

      Okay, the small company. It is in Orange County, Ca. Engineers. So these guys who are in California and engineers should have been around the block right? Almost every single one is married or got married recently and are reproducing and buying overpriced OC houses (nests). Mistake after mistake after mistake. One would have expected these people to have encountered divorced men who say “Don’t Marry!”

      I am the odd man out. And it came as a surprise to the company’s 401k administrator that I have perhaps the highest net worth of all the engineers. See I don’t need space. Also it is cheaper to rent in many parts of California than to own. I have had a lot more income left over after expenses so I invested it.

      Marriage will make a man poor. I have seen it happen. I am the example of the corollary.

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  • doughty john says:

    What do I want??

    1.Scrap all the existing divorce or 50-50 laws & alimony:

    {{Oops,this looks like I am asking too much…this should be sending feminists pissing in their pants}}

    * If a man files divorce becoz the woman refuses to listen to the man,refuses to understand his view point, does everything opposite or contrary to what he says or shows scant respect for his thinking & well being, then he has every right to kick the bitch out without paying a dime……

    The state should NOT try to rescue or bail her out…….

    * If a man files divorce, even when the woman is loyal, faithful& does everything to please the man,then the case might be closed by paying appropriate monthly or annually alimony amount to the woman…..

    But seldom will a man try to divorce such a woman & even if he has a one night stand up or extra marital affair, it would be preposterous or foolish on his part to give up such a woman…………

    The woman does not have the right to claim anything else.

    I say fuck with the 50-50 property division,bank accounts etc……I say fuck with 50-50 mutual respect becoz most of the time, woman rarely bring 50-50 to the table……

    *If a woman files divorce, as is the case most of the time,

    becoz she is unhappy with the man or the man is unable to fulfill her needs & wants, then she can break her relationship without claiming anything from man & fending for herself by making her own source of income……

    The man is NOT obligated to bail her out, since he had NOT filed for divorce….simple as that.

    2.Scrap all the existing DV laws:

    The laws states….. the manipulated version…..it is all right for a woman to become violent against man but it is not acceptable for a man to defend himself from such type of woman.

    Thus it is okay or acceptable for a woman to tease, taunt,

    scold,chide,heap malice & scorn,spite & emasculate,pass caustic & sarcastic remarks,abuse verbally & if that does not work….. become violent to get her way across & pray what a man should do in such situation……

    Become buddha & stay mum & quiet without losing sanity

    or clench his fists & land a punch on her face resulting in the woman dialling 911 & the man heading towards the nearest state prison……

    The reason why a man becomes violent is not because he

    chose or wanted to…..but he was provoked & instigated

    beyond a certain point & since the bitch simply refused or rather chose NOT to listen to him, did not make an effort to understand his viewpoint or his thinking…..he was left with NO other choice…..

    3.Scrap all the existing child support laws:

    If the woman chose to keep children with herself, then it is her decision & it is her responsibility to look after them.

    She should NOT claim anything from her man.If the man

    decides to send financial assistance,then well & good but man is NO way obligated to support her.

    It becomes a man’s obligation & responsibility only when he gets to keep his children.

    Further more there is NO way to prevent the woman from misusing it.The woman could very well use the money for her own needs under the excuse of supporting his kids…..

  • why bother says:

    I read that some countries, such as Australia, are starting to declare cohabitation of more than two years as marriage. To get around this law, you and your girlfriend must rent or own separate places. You have to also be sure she is paying for her place too. So the way to do that is to stay overnight at each others places several days a week, or often enough to be sure she is payi png for her own shelter. I think legally, even if you spend every night with each other, as long as you both are paying separately and you are not always at the same address -hers or yours – you have no commingled assets at all and technically you are not living together.

  • Chloe Ryan says:

    I have been in great bondage for almost 6 months suffering in the hands of a cheating husband,we were happy and leaving well until he meant his old time gilr friend and he started dating her outside our marriage before you knew it he stopped caring and taking care of his own family it was to the extent that now he was planning to get married to her and divorce me his own wife, i have cried and reported him to his family but he never listened to any one but to cut my story short i came in search for a real spell caster who could destroy their relationship and make him come back me and our 2 kids on my search i saw people making testimony on how their marriage where restored by Dr Saibaba i pick his email and i narrated my story to him and he agreed to help me and after performing a spell on the third day they both had a quarrel with his girlfriend and he came home begging for i and my little kids to forgive him that his eyes are clear now that he will never do any thing that will hurt his family again and promise to be a caring father and never cheat again.I am so so happy that i did not loose him to the girl all appreciation goes to Dr Saibaba for you are a great spell caster and to whom this may concern if you have a cheating husband or wife you can as well email him on templesaibaba@yahoo.com