Divorce Attorney Shares 4 Tips Every Couple Must Follow Before Marriage

Getting married to the love of your life is a dream come true for most people. But, it’s also important to realize that a husband and a wife share many responsibilities in addition to love. Often, the burden of shouldering such responsibilities ends up tearing two much-in-love people apart.

Pixabay | Getting married to the love of your life is a dream come true for most people

According to the American Psychological Association, around half of the married people in the U.S. end up getting divorced, and that thought often puts a toll on lovers to not settle down.

To prevent a couple from heading towards a bitter separation and to handle a divorce in the wisest way possible (if needed), a divorce attorney and Hargrave Family Law’s Managing Partner, Jennifer Hargrave, has shared her nuggets of wisdom which every couple needs to know.

Fiduciary duties must be followed

The basic rule to follow in a marriage is honesty and loyalty. Hargrave says that couples should avoid lying, cheating, or stealing from their spouses as they owe these fiduciary duties to each other. Even spending cash hideously on things like gambling or shopping could ruin their relationship. Couples must always discuss and make decisions when it comes to things that can cause disagreements.

Pixabay | Couples should avoid lying, cheating, or stealing from their spouses as they owe these fiduciary duties to each other

Couples must be aware of their marital property

When people get married, any asset acquired or earned by any of the partners turns into marital property. This includes retirement pension, savings, and other assets that were private to individual people earlier.

This marital property is usually divided equally when the couple seeks a divorce. The laws governing marital property vary from state to state, and every couple needs to be aware of them. They also need to realize that after marriage, everything belongs to both of them. In case, there are certain assets that one partner doesn’t wish to share with the other, both people must sign a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement.

Read – Managing Marital Property: Do’s and Don’ts

Talk about each other’s privacy

Transparency is the key to a successful marriage, but at some point, everybody needs privacy. Hargrave says that even the couples who share everything with each other need to respect each other’s privacy needs. Encroachment of privacy by too much meddling and nagging can often lead to arguments and mistrust.

Read – Checking Your Spouse’s Phone: How Ethical Is It?

Children

Hargrave says that talking about the future, especially about children, can make a couple understand their responsibilities. Talking about it will make them understand that financial and childcare responsibilities must be shared and not just be done by one person.

Pixabay | Talking about the future, especially about children, can make a couple understand their responsibilities

All in all

Couples who rush into marriage without having a steady plan might end up losing the spark too soon. Talking to your partner about the money, property, and children will open the doors for better understanding and strengthen their relationship. Even if the conversations feel awkward, it’ll still be better than divorce, right?