Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreement Attorney in Syracuse Area

Experienced NY divorce attorney draws up marital agreements

Syracuse divorce lawyer Richard J. Bombardo has 15 years of experience in drawing up the full range of marital agreements, including separation agreements, divorces, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

A key objective of a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is to establish what assets will never become marital property for division by a Court at a future date.  The agreement overrides statutory estate rights and statutory requirements for beneficiaries on various accounts to which a spouse would otherwise be entitled.  These agreements include all of the items that would be addressed in a separation agreement or divorce action.  

What is included in a prenuptial agreement?

A prenuptial agreement is a multi-purpose agreement, stipulating all of the following—

• What belongs to whom if the parties do not marry
• What will stay separate and what will co-mingle if the parties do marry
• What will belong to whom should the marriage end  

Part of what is often included in this type of agreement is an enumeration of divisions and protections. It is the mechanism by which increases in one party’s pre-marriage assets do not become marital property or property over which the other party may have a claim. The agreement can also state that certain assets are shared; parts of certain assets are shared, or prescribe what will happen to assets upon each party’s death.

These agreements deal with a myriad of items, including—

• Estate rights
• Insurance beneficiaries
• Retirement beneficiaries
• Business interests
• Property not yet owned by either party (both real and personal property)
• Assets purchased by one party during the marriage or relationship

There is often a provision to protect a non-monied spouse if the monied spouse dies.  This can take the form of an insurance policy or be included as part of estate planning in the prenuptial agreement itself.

Postnuptial agreements

A postnuptial agreement is a written contract executed after a couple is married  to settle their affairs and assets should their marriage or civil union break up, resulting in separation or divorce.  The contents of a postnuptial agreement are similar to those of a prenuptial agreement, including provisions for division of property and spousal support in the event of divorce, death of one of the spouses or breakup of the marriage.

Providing skilled legal counsel and attentive client service

Contact the Law Office of Richard Bombardo, PC at 315-488-5544 for a free consultation and let Mr. Bombardo answer your questions about marital agreements.  In-office and telephone consultations are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours and by appointment after hours and weekends.  You can also contact the firm online by submitting the intake form on this website.  Flexible payment options are available for clients who meet certain criteria.