Prenuptial agreements set rules for how a couple will handle their property and finances if they divorce. This could save you a lot of stress and time in the courtroom if your marriage comes to an end. Understanding how much a prenup costs can help you budget for this important step.

If you’ve agreed to be a stay-at-home spouse in your marriage, you run the risk of losing years of valuable job experience. But there’s no reason why a divorce should leave you with limited job prospects. In a prenup, you may negotiate for your spouse to pay for schooling to help you become a competitive candidate in the labor market. If you’re a stay-at-home getting divorced, here’s what you need to know.

Whether you start a business before or during your marriage, with or without your spouse, a divorce can lead to conflict in determining who has the right to run your company or receive profits from it. This conflict may be worse if you have a business partner who's not your spouse.

These legal issues may be avoided if you and your spouse make arrangements in a prenup that outline how you'll handle business management, distribution of profits and winding up a closing business. Without a prenup, these matters would need to be resolved as part of your divorce settlement, which can be more contentious and costly.

Discussing a prenuptial agreement can feel uncomfortable, but bringing up the topic early makes it easier and more productive. Ideally, start the conversation well before wedding planning becomes stressful, so neither of you feels rushed or pressured. A prenup works best when it's approached as thoughtful planning, not a reaction to conflict.

How you frame the discussion matters. Present the prenup as mutual protection rather than a sign of distrust. Emphasize that it's a way to set clear expectations, reduce uncertainty, and decide what's fair together if circumstances ever change. Many couples find that having open financial conversations before marriage helps build trust, rather than weakening it. If you're already married, you can still create a similar agreement, learn the difference between a prenup and postnup.

Before negotiating terms, each of you should identify your top priorities. One partner may want to protect a business or inheritance, while the other may focus on maintaining housing stability, avoiding career interruptions, or securing spousal support. These priorities often don’t conflict and can usually be addressed in the same agreement.

Compromise is common and often practical. Examples include time-limited spousal support instead of lifetime payments, defined housing arrangements rather than immediate sale or transfer, and financial provisions that change based on the length of the marriage. The goal isn’t to “win,” but to reach terms that both of you see as reasonable and fair.

Each partner should have their own attorney. Separate representation reduces conflicts of interest and helps demonstrate that the agreement was entered voluntarily and with informed consent.

Questions worth asking include how many prenups the attorney has handled, what disclosures are required in your state, how long drafting typically takes, and whether post-marriage updates are recommended.