If You're Preparing a Prenup, Here's What Women Should Ask For

Weddings are an exciting time for everyone involved, but amid the frenzy of preparing for such a big day, more complicated conversations may have to be had. Some couples prepare for the fallout of their marriage and draft a prenup, which is an agreement that solidifies how debts, assets, and other financial holdings will be divided during divorce.

It's important to have one on hand if a marriage heads south, especially for women. Although we've come a long way since the 1950s, women are still paid 83 cents for every dollar men earn. Women also have a longer life expectancy than men, so safeguarding their futures is an even more critical issue. Plus, having a prenup now can ease the stress of a divorce later.

So what should a woman ask for in a prenup?

When working through the list of things you may be required to protect through the written bounds of a prenup, consider safeguarding any form of property that you brought into the marriage. If you've previously bought a home that your partner has lived in or shares with you post-wedding, you will want to make sure they don't go after that when battling for belongings.

Alimony is another important ask when proposing financial wants if a divorce occurs. It obligates a partner to issue a form of financial support to the other before or after the separation is finalized. Alimony is a pre-determined sum awarded to the other party periodically and often occurs after the divorce is finalized. A person can request multiple forms of alimony during the writing of their prenup.

Any form of inheritance should be taken into consideration when it comes down to the details of a prenup. Inheritance and estate planning often go hand-in-hand, and a woman should keep this in mind when aiming to keep any valuables out of reach from an estranged partner. Allocations of assets after death, ex-significant others being removed as beneficiaries, and making a note that children from past relationships receive inheritance should be included in prenuptial agreements.

Wedding gifts are often viewed as a customary expectation, and these gifts have the potential of being extremely valuable. Gifts being protected by a prenup can extend past the wedding, and it's important to have some plan in place to make sure you're able to keep anything that's been gifted to you. Gifts are considered to be non-marital property and expressing them as such in a prenup prohibits them from being up for grabs.

Debt is often overlooked as marital property, and if a woman isn't careful, they can be roped into their ex-partner's debts and be saddled with their financial burden. To avoid ending up with a bill for your ex-spouse's debt, specify in the prenuptial agreement that any significant accrued debt be considered separate.