Prenuptial agreements aid wives who earn more than their husbands

When the public thinks about income inequality between spouses, they often envision a scenario where a husband is the primary income earner while a wife brings significantly less to the table. However, the last half-century has changed a great deal about why people marry and when, leading to a surge in recent years of couples where the wife, and not the husband, is the primary breadwinner. This creates a kind of income inequality in a marriage that goes against many stereotypes that still exist in public opinion, and may create tensions in the relationship.

If you are a woman with significantly greater assets than your soon-to-be husband, it is wise to protect against the possibility of divorce with a prenuptial agreement. Thankfully, many of the old assumptions about prenuptial agreements are dying off as couples throughout the country recognize the value they can offer to any relationship. A well-crafted prenuptial agreement can help avoid many of the tensions that may arise in your marriage and give your relationship room to establish itself on you and your husband’s own terms. By creating clear boundaries around who gets what in a potential divorce, you can diffuse many relationship tensions before they arise.

As a woman of means marrying a man who has less than you do, there are myriad ways that your assets can create conflict within your marriage if you do not take extra care to avoid this. A proper prenuptial agreement allows you to separate your relationship from your stuff, helping you steer clear of many relationship stressors that come along with different backgrounds or access to assets.

The last thing that you want is for your assets to come between you and your husband. Even though he probably does not think about your assets in those terms, money has an uncanny way of creating tension in a marriage, especially when there is inequality between spouses. If you’re ready to create a prenuptial agreement that respects and strengthens your relationship, do not hesitate to consult with an experienced attorney.

Source: Forbes, “A Less Common Income Inequality: When Wives Earn More Than Their Husbands,” Jeff Landers, June 13, 2017