Relationship agreements such as pre-marriage, prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements, pre-civil partnership agreements and cohabitation agreements can offer you security and protection. They can bring clarity and support to your relationship and can provide the added benefit of peace of mind should either of you, at a later date, need legal protection.

The process is delicate and should be respectfully handled without losing sight of the marriage that it is designed to facilitate. It involves disclosure of each party’s finances and detailed discussions about what would be considered a fair outcome in the event of divorce. Careful judgement has to be exercised and sometimes delicate structuring put in place to maximise the “future-proofing” of the agreement.

Prenuptial agreements are particularly useful for people who wish to protect assets that they would like to pass on, such as a farm or a business. Many people also wish to enter these agreements if they have separated from a previous marriage/civil partnership.