The Modern Prenup | California Premarital Agreement

What is a prenup? Do we need that?

Marriage is a beautiful union: a joining of hearts, emotionally, and a merging of lives, legally. While much of the focus is often placed on the celebration of love, remember that you are also entering into a new legal partnership recognized by California law.

From the moment you say “I do,” a brand new set of legal responsibilities is created, not just an emotional one. Creating a premarital agreement ahead of time gives you the ability to work with your partner to tailor a plan that honors both of your wishes. It allows you to address the legal responsibilities that come with marriage, thoughtfully and with love, before they take effect.

How You and Your Partner Can Use a Prenup to Your Advantage:

• Intentionally preserve your family legacy and personal assets
• Align your long-term goals for growth, security, and shared success
• Protect your children’s inheritances and future needs with care
• Plan ahead for retirement and unexpected life changes
• Establish clear, private agreements that reflect your values, without Court involvement

A thoughtfully crafted premarital agreement lets you build your future together with clarity, commitment, and love at the center. Start your next chapter with a plan that’s created by, and from, love.

What Does the Prenup Process Look Like?

1. Initial Consultation and Goal Setting
   We start by getting to know your circumstances and goals. Whether you’re looking to protect premarital assets, define shared responsibilities, or avoid future disputes, we tailor the process to your relationship.

2. Drafting the Agreement:
   Once we’ve discussed your goals, we’ll prepare a clear, customized agreement that reflects your shared intentions. You and your partner will have the opportunity to review the draft and ensure it aligns with your vision. To stay on track for your anticipated wedding date, we’ll guide you through a focused timeline. California law requires a mandatory 7-day waiting period between the final draft and signing. Our team ensures you make your deadlines + you and your spouse are fully prepared before your big day.

3. Get Legal Advice:
   To ensure you fully understand your prenuptial agreement and your legal rights, California law requires that certain clauses and waivers be explained by an attorney. We provide a trusted network of independent attorneys that you and your partner can choose from to receive separate legal counsel, as required by California law to ensure the enforceability of your prenuptial agreement. These attorneys also complete and sign an attorney verification on your agreement for further certification.

4. Final In-person Signing and Notarization Appointment:
   Once your agreement is 100% satisfactory to both you and your partner, we’ll schedule your final in-person signing appointment with us. During this meeting, we’ll ensure the agreement is properly executed and notarized. For your convenience, our experienced, dual-licensed paralegal will personally meet with you to walk you through the process and answer any final questions you may have.

Why Choose a Paralegal for Your Prenup?

Hiring a paralegal saves you time, money, and stress, so that you can focus your time (and funds!) towards more pressing items on your agenda… like planning your big day. Our full-service case management ensures that your agreement is properly drafted, formatted, and compliant with California law’s strict laws around timelines, disclosures, and required attorney review. Specifically, we provide:

• Fast, professional, and stress-free agreement drafting

• Flat rate packages with zero surprise hourly billing

• Local, independent attorneys ready to answer your legal questions

• One dedicated case manager for your deadline management and 7-day legal review period

• Personalized agreement tailored to your unique value and relationship, NOT a generic, fill-in-the-blank template like those found online.

• Expertise in local court procedure and clerk requirements for with courts located in Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, San Diego and Ventura county.

Unlike websites that churn out generic agreements with no human contact, we provide prenups as unique as your values and relationship. You'll work with a dedicated case manager, receive hands-on support every step of the way, and have access to trusted local attorneys for the legal counsel California law requires. With us, you’ll get professional legal document support that’s thoughtful, affordable, and built around your love story.

FAQ: Do we really need separate attorneys for a prenup?

Yes. In California, both partners must have separate, independent attorneys review and advise them on the prenuptial agreement for it to be fully enforceable, particularly when certain clauses and waivers are included (such as spousal support provisions).

We make this step easier by offering a list of trusted local attorneys for you to choose from, though you're always welcome to find your own. By working with a paralegal to draft the main agreement, you're already saving thousands in legal fees, therefore freeing up tons of funds for each of you to retain separate counsel. Just remember, there's a big difference between saving money and cutting corners. Your prenup needs to be legally sound, clear, and enforceable when it matters most. Skipping the attorney review can lead to your agreement being challenged or thrown out in court. With our approach, you get both affordability and a peace of mind.

Did you know?

A common lie or misconception is that a prenup means you’re planning for divorce. False.

The truth? A prenup is a marriage planning tool meant to support you during the marriage. While a prenup also includes protections for the other “what-if’s”, that is not its main function nor purpose. A well-drafted prenup preemptively creates alignment during your marriage by allowing both partners to work together to make informed decisions about how income, assets, debt, and property will be handled during your new life together.

Planning for a lifelong marriage

We all know the vows. In love, in sickness and in health... but what about the rest? What’s plan? The finances? The home? Any debt? Kids? How are the big decisions going to be made? It’s the conversation that couples ~should be~ having before marriage anyway. A prenup is simply that plan. Written down.

To sum it all up: Prenups are one of the most overlooked marriage planning tools that can be used to foster a strong marriage foundation. Done right, a prenup allows both partners to come together to determine the framework of exactly what they’re committing to—not just emotionally, but legally as well. Ready to get started? We can help.

or, give us a call at (714) 248-6064

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or, give us a call at (714) 248-6064