[Timoteo]

You also need to make sure you're in a state where the pre-nup is ironclad. I know it appears that if you have a contract, you have a contract, but my understanding is that isn't necessarily so (like NFL contracts...HA HA!). From my understanding, NY is an ironclad state. When Donald Trump divorced Ivana, she tried to challenge even though she had a great deal ($25 million bulk payment, $1 million dollar bonus for moving out of Trump Tower by a certain date, use of the Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida, outright ownership of other properties, then child support on top of that for their 3 children). Even though she greatly benefited from their marriage, she tried to break the pre-nup. She was a Czechoslavikan ski bunny when they met, but he taught her business (allowing her to manage the Plaza Hotel), which she parlayed into authoring books, etc. Not only was she getting a great package, but also the ability to earn on her own from what she learned from him, plus the celebrity of being married to him and carrying his name. She STILL made a play for more, but was shot down.

The average joe doesn't have a great amount of assets to protect in this way, but if you've inherited property or something else of value, it's probably a good idea to get that protected just in case. For couples that both are well-to-do, both should sit down and spell out who has what - neither should walk away with less than they came in with, and any negotiation should only revolve around splitting what you've accumulated together. You either sell the marital property and split the proceeds, or one partner buys the other out.