Prenuptial Agreements

“A comprehensive and well-written guide that will greatly help couples–and lawyers–in drafting prenuptial agreements.” Stuart Walzer, family law attorney & author

“An excellent gift for any starry-eyed couple …” Reference & Research Book News

“Approximately 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. Marriage is one of the few personal contracts in which the state you live in dictates the terms of a divorce – unless a couple create their own customized premarital agreement. Combining Nolo’s legal expertise and plain-English writing, this newly updated and expanded fifth edition of “Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair & Lasting Contract” makes a potentially touchy subject easy to deal with while explaining how to create a valid contract. Thoroughly ‘user friendly’ in organization and presentation, “Prenuptial Agreements” is an easy-to-use guide that covers: Whether a prenup is right for your relationship; How to decide what a prenup should include; How to deal with special situations, such as one spouse’s debts, business ownership, or kids from a previous marriage; How to assemble a draft agreement; How to turn your draft into a contract; and even offers tips on negotiating and communicating. This current edition of “Prenuptial Agreements” reflects current state laws, plus worksheets and clauses for preparing an agreement that suits the unique needs of anyone contemplating getting married and desirous of the protection that a prenuptial agreement can provide. Simply stated, “Prenuptial Agreements” should be a part of every community library collection.” The Midwest Book Review, James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief

From the Author:

The idea for this book grew out of the many years I spent as a family lawyer and mediator. So many of my clients could have saved unnecessary expense and anxiety at the time of a divorce or on the death of their spouse if only they had a prenuptial agreement that clearly spelled out their expectations. I set out to write a guide for engaged couples, to help them to decide together if they need a prenup, and if so, to help them create a fair, practical, and binding document.

Katherine E. Stoner is a superior court commissioner in Monterey County, California. Prior to that, she was a certified family law specialist, with a practice focused primarily on family law and mediation. She was a founding member of Collaborative Practice of Monterey County. Katherine has been a trainer at the Center for Mediation in Law in Marin County, California, and is an adjunct faculty member at Monterey College of Law, where she teaches community property, family law, and mediation.