Most people are familiar with prenuptial agreements, or “prenups,” but what about “postnups?” The postnuptial agreement, which is drawn up after a couple marries rather than before, is gaining popularity, largely because it may strengthen the marital bond and give a boost to what the couple once thought of as wedded bliss.

Why you might want one

You may have come into a financial windfall when your Uncle Ed passed away and left you a significant inheritance. This is the first time in your life that you have had such a hefty balance in your bank account. While you love your spouse, you also want to protect the inheritance. A postnup would allow you to set some terms about the management of the funds between the two of you.

Other considerations

Some couples believe a postnuptial agreement can help them establish and maintain certain boundaries. For example, they might want the agreement to spell out how much money one person gets each month for golf outings or how much the other person gets for home furnishings. The agreement might even specify which relatives may come for Thanksgiving and which may enjoy Christmas at the couple’s home. Some agreements address responsibility for certain chores: who takes out the trash and who takes care of the weeding.

Fixing what goes wrong

The main idea behind a postnuptial agreement is to take something that is not working well in the marriage and fix it. Some people who already have a prenup request a postnup that addresses something they forgot to include in the previous agreement. Most of the time, however, a postnup is drawn up years after the couple marries. The hope is that they can set down in words the resolution to a problem that has caused the marriage to go stale, or to alleviate some point of stress or friction. If this kind of agreement seems like a good idea to you and your spouse, reach out to an experienced family law attorney for advice and legal assistance.