Seattle Family & Marital Law Attorneys

Lawyers Assisting with Washington Marriage Contracts

There are many different types of marriage contracts in Washington, and each of them serves a different purpose.  Marriage contracts may be drafted and signed before, during or after a marriage, with each individual contract having it own individual purpose.  The most common types of marriage contracts in Washington include:

• Prenuptial Agreement:  This is a contract that is designed by the couple and their attorney and is signed before the marriage takes place.  A prenuptial agreement identifies any separate assets belonging to an individual so that if a divorce ever occurs, the assets will not be able to be divided.   A prenuptial agreement helps protect any assets that a person acquires before a marriage.
• Postnuptial Agreement: This type of marriage contract is similar to a prenuptial agreement, but occurs after the couple is already married.  This contract will identify assets accumulated by the couple during their marriage with the purpose of protecting those assets in the event of a divorce.  If a couple earns or inherits considerable property during their marriage, they may want to consider getting this type of marriage contract.
• Cohabitation Agreement:  Although this is a type of contract is not exactly a marriage contract, it still involves a couple, though they are not legally married.  This type of contract outlines many of the same issues as prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and can still provide legal boundaries even though the couple is not legally married.

If you need assistance drafting, creating or making any type of marriage contract legal, a Seattle family and marital law attorney from our firm will be glad to assist you.  Marriage contracts can be very beneficial to all involved parties and if you are considering a marriage contract our family lawyers can advise you about which type will be the best for your specific situation.    

Contact a Seattle Family & Marital Lawyer today for more information about marriage contracts!