Legal English Challenge 2023 – Day 15 Reading

A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract concluded prior to marriage, civil union or any other agreement before the main agreement by the people intending to marry or or start a co-habitation with each other. In many civil law  countries, the prenuptial agreements may protect the non-shared property and money of the spouses.

The content of a prenuptial agreement can vary widely, but commonly includes provisions for division of property and spousal support and maintenance in the event of divorce or the breakup of the marriage. They may also include terms for the forfeiture of assets (taking away the assets) as a result of divorce on the grounds of adultery (being unfaithful); further conditions of guardianship may be included, as well.

A so-called „sunset provision” may be inserted into a prenuptial agreement, specifying that after a certain amount of time, the agreement will expire.

The prenuptial agreement should not be confused with the historic marriage settlement which was concerned not primarily with the effects of divorce but with the establishment and maintaining of dynastic families.

KEY VOCABULARY

adultery

breakup of marriage

civil union

co-habitation

division

divorce

forfeiture of assets

guardianship

to marry

non-shared

prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement

prior to

spouse

spousal support and maintenance

sunset provision