Spokane Family Law Blog

During the wedding planning process, soon-to-be married couples may be reluctant to consider the very real possibility that their marriage will not work out. As a result, many people refuse to enter into a prenuptial agreement with their fiancé, thereby putting themselves at risk financially if the marriage goes south. Despite this risk, statistics show that only 5% of married couples have a prenup in place. The lack of a prenuptial agreement can be a costly mistake, particularly for high-earning spouses like pop superstar Adele.

It was recently revealed that Adele and husband Simon Konecki would be getting a divorce, but that the couple had reportedly not signed a prenuptial agreement when they married in 2011. If the couple chooses to file for divorce in California, they may have to split their assets evenly, meaning that Simon could get half of Adele's earnings. California, like Washington, is a community property state, meaning that both spouses get an even share of the marital assets upon divorce.

When many people think of divorce, they picture an angry, emotional couple fighting over assets and arguing about where their kids should live. However, many couples do not fit this mold. While they may not be able to agree on everything, they are generally able to get along and are willing to work together to avoid a lengthy, tumultuous court battle.

For couples willing to negotiate, collaborative divorce is often a better option than traditional divorce. Generally, the process starts with each spouse hiring their own attorney to represent their interests throughout the divorce process. Each spouse should meet with their attorney before negotiations begin to discuss their individual goals and priorities. The attorney should be aware of the minimum the spouse is willing to accept as well as what they would ideally want.

Once you and your spouse have decided to go your separate ways, it is important that you make sure you do everything in your power to protect yourself financially and ensure that you are prepared for the future. Experts suggest that getting organized can help you get what you want out of the divorce.

First, experts say you should make a list of your assets and accounts, including bank statements, insurance policy information, investment account information, real estate deeds, credit card information, and loan documents. You should also make sure you collect non-financial documents, such as your will and premarital agreements. Once you have all the documents you need, you will need to find a way to organize them so that you can retrieve them quickly when needed. For example, you can put all real estate documents in the same file (e.g. mortgage information, deed, valuation), so that you can easily give them to your divorce attorney or financial advisor when the time comes.

When you married your spouse, you knew that they had gotten married and divorced before. It was no secret when you met. They were very upfront about it and told you about their past.

In fact, they even said that it would make their marriage to you stronger because they had learned from the mistakes they made the first time around. Think of it like practicing for that second marriage, they said. Now they were good at it, and practice makes perfect. You felt confident that it made your marriage even more secure.