Prenuptial agreements have been available in Washington State for a long time, but they have never been especially common. Couples either were unaware of what prenups can do for them, or they believed negotiating and signing a prenuptial agreement was an admission that their marriage would not last. Then there was the public perception that prenups are for the very wealthy only.
It appears that myths about prenuptial agreements (and postnuptial agreements, which is the version for already married couples) are fading if a recent survey by Axios is to be believed.
Popular among younger generations
According to the survey, 50 percent of American adults said they at least somewhat supported the idea of prenups. Though only about 20 percent of married respondents reported having a prenup themselves, the numbers were higher for couples from younger generations. Among millennial respondents (roughly, those born between 1980-95), 41 percent of who were married or engaged said they had a prenup. And married or engaged respondents from the younger Gen-Z generation, which is entering the typical marriage age at its upper end, said they had a prenup 47 percent of the time.
Helpful, but not required
Forty-seven percent of married couples having prenuptial agreements 20 or more years in the future would make divorce much more efficient and less stressful. Having a prenup does not doom you to divorce. Instead, it ensures that you and your spouse know where you will stand financially in case your marriage ever ends. At the same time, a reasonable divorce is possible without a prenup, with a divorce attorney’s help.