Should Everyone Get a Prenup?

Prenups have changed to be more of a financial planning tool for the middle class in recent years.

A 2023 survey showed that one in five adults who were either married or engaged had a prenup, and Gen Z and millennials are more likely to have one.

Influencers on TikTok and Instagram are helping change the messaging around prenups by romanticizing financial transparency.

Younger generations are getting prenups partly because they saw their parents' divorces and want to avoid similar outcomes. People marrying later in life may bring established careers, businesses, or student loans into the marriage, making prenups practical.

Couples are adding clauses to prenups to proactively address what happens if one partner stays home to raise children.

Standard alimony doesn't account for the compounding economic disadvantage of missing years of work, career seniority, and retirement savings.

Depending on the terms, a stay-at-home spouse could receive a trust, a lump sum, or alimony reflecting their previous salary.

In 2025, 68% of mothers with children under six participated in the workforce, compared with 95% of fathers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The prenup questionnaire brought up topics like financial beneficiaries and health insurance that they hadn't previously discussed.

The prenup felt more like estate planning about future achievements and contingencies than protecting assets from each other.

They agreed to keep their pre-marriage businesses as separate property with no claims from the other spouse.

Zach's willingness to stay home if her business took off was touching and demonstrated his belief in her career.

Either of them could step up to stay home with children depending on whose business is booming, making it a flexible arrangement.

A prenup is like a business contract with a termination clause, but the goal is still to renew and grow the partnership. All newlyweds should have a prenup because it forces financial transparency and builds confidence in the marriage.