A prenup, or prenuptial agreement, has long been a hot-button issue in marriages.
In the U.S., they only apply to a small percentage of marriages. Estimates vary, but according to one survey, about 10% of marriages included prenups.
However, there are signs that prenups are on the rise. According to the Harris Poll, the number is closer to 15%, but that is still up significantly from just 3% in 2010. They're also becoming increasingly popular with not just wealthy couples but middle-class ones too, in part to protect themselves from each other's debt, which can apply in the event of death or divorce.

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There are plenty of reasons why you might decide for or against a prenuptial agreement, and it's an issue worth considering, especially if you have assets to protect or other family members, such as children, to consider.
Some see it as unromantic, reducing the most important relationship in your life to a legal contract, and the prenuptial agreement itself generally implies a risk of something going wrong in your marriage that would lead to divorce (they can protect your assets in the event of death as well).
On the other hand, there are a number of legal and practical reasons to choose to have a prenup, including securing your own assets and that of your family, protecting yourself from debt, or preventing fallout in the event of a remarriage.
The biggest reason to get a prenup
Of all the reasons to get a prenup, the biggest reason is probably to set clear financial expectations.
Marriage represents a union on multiple levels, and part of that union revolves around finances. Typically, this means a shared bank account and household budget, and if you're planning on having kids, you will have to function as one combined financial unit as you spend money and allocate resources to raise your children.
This means having a prenup can be a good way to make each party's financial responsibilities clear. If one-half of the couple has a substantial amount of wealth, a prenup can also set aside any assets, or alternatively, prevent one party from being responsible for another party's debts.
While the prenup is traditionally thought of as a way to protect assets in the event of a divorce, it can be used as a broader agreement on the way finances are used in the actual marriage.
For example, you could make arrangements to specify who is responsible for certain bills or debts, describe how joint accounts will be handled, and how the income and spending will be split. The prenuptial agreement could even include allowances for certain expenses, helping to avoid disputes later on in the marriage.
Other reasons to use a prenup
Some of the more common reasons to have a prenup have been discussed, including protection from one party's debt, avoiding disputes, and protecting assets.
However, a prenup could also make sense for you if you own a business, as a divorce could become a threat to your business, forcing you to sell or divest a significant portion of it, jeopardizing your own livelihood and that of your employees.
If you have children and you're entering a new marriage, you might also want to consider using a prenuptial agreement to protect your children and make sure you can pass your assets on to them.
There are a lot of reasons why a prenup could make sense for you and your future spouse. If you're considering one, you'll want to discuss the pros and the cons with your fiance and seek professional advice you can trust.