Most couples have some sort of age gap when they get married, even if it’s just a few years. For instance, one study put the average age of marriage at 33 for men and 31 for women (in the United States), showing that the odds are good that men will be a year or two older than the women they marry.
But what if it’s bigger than that? Say you are 10 years older than the person to whom you’re engaged. Does this mean that it would be wise for you to use a prenuptial agreement when you do get married?
Protecting your assets
The biggest thing to consider is what your assets and debts look like. With a large age gap, the odds are good that the two of you are not in exactly the same financial position, which could mean that a prenup will help you protect your assets.
For instance, say that you are 35 years of age and you have been running your own business. You have assets tied up in that business and you bring home a very nice salary as the owner of the company. Meanwhile, your partner is 25 years of age and just graduated from college with a lot of debt. They just have a part-time job as they start their career.
You can see why the financial gap may make a prenup useful so that you’re not worried about losing your assets to someone who brings much less to the marriage. You may also want to protect your company so that a divorce doesn’t put any financial strain on the business that you’ve worked so hard to create.
No matter what you decide to do, be sure you know exactly what legal steps to take to protect your future interests. If you’re contemplating a prenup, it may be time to seek experienced legal guidance.
