MARRIAGE
Ask That Guy Holding Up a Diamond Ring to Be More Specific
What kind of marriage did you have in mind, exactly?
My husband and I see eye-to-eye on most things and have a solid marriage, which I would love to take credit for, but it’s mostly dumb luck.
We throw all our money into a common pot and if we’ve ever had a fight about money, I can’t remember it. We do occasionally have conflicts about housework, but we’re fortunately at about the same place on The Martha Stewart — Steve Bannon Cleanliness Continuum.
But you can’t count on dumb luck, which is why I’ve changed my mind about prenuptial agreements. I used to consider them an acknowledgement that you didn’t believe in your marriage. Now, I realize it’s naive to refuse to prepare for something that has an almost 50 percent chance of happening. Before you invest in a dress, I suggest you come to two agreements: one legal, one emotional.
A prenup is just the start
The prenup is about money. For those of us who don’t have any, it seems silly to spell things out — “I get the trailer, you get the Dodge” — but if anything, spelling out financial agreements is more important for the poor. The stakes are higher when the amount of money available is lower.
