Are you considering getting a prenup before getting married? It’s a great idea if your or your spouse is bringing a sizable amount of income to the marriage.
Affleck/Garner divorce timing
In the case of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, it’s interesting to note that Garner filed the divorce petition exactly one day after their 10 year wedding anniversary. Perhaps this is because of California Family Code Section 4336(a), which stipulates that a marriage that endures for more than 10 years be considered a long-term one. This definition affects the amount and length of spousal support, so the lesser-earning spouse can petition the California courts for more alimony money or support for a longer duration—or both.
It’s possible that their prenup also indicated that if a divorce occurs, the higher-earning spouse will give the lesser-earning one a certain amount of settlement money for each year of marriage.
All of these theories are just circumspection—it’s equally possible that Affleck and Garner realized that their 10 year anniversary was coming up, and that made them discover how dissatisfied they were in their marriage, leading to their eventual divorce.
What we can learn from their divorce
Whatever the circumstances of their breakup, which will be endlessly wondered about in tabloid magazines, there is one piece of their story that is important for regular Californians:
Prenups matter because circumstances change over the years.
Consider getting a prenup before you walk down the aisle because you never know what the future will bring. Affleck and Garner seemed like Hollywood’s golden couple, destined to be together forever, especially since they established such a beautiful family. But things happen, relationships change, and you never know when a divorce will become your best option.
Your future self will thank you
Save yourself some major headaches by coming to Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell to establish terms and sign a prenup with your soon-to-be spouse. At Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell, we’ve worked with so many couples going through divorces, so we’ve really seen it all. The most harmonious divorces are most often the ones with firmly established prenups in place. It just makes everything easier for everyone—and in the case of divorces, the easiest way is pretty much always the best way to go.
Responsible, trustworthy, meticulous prenup assistance
We’ll walk you through all the salient details of your prenup and make sure you’re getting a fair deal every step of the way. We know in detail what kinds of prenups hold up in court and which ones don’t, so we’ll meticulously review your prenup agreement to make sure every aspect is 100% taken care of so you can enjoy your wedding day worry-free.
Like the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry—especially when it comes to divorce. Schedule an initial consultation with one of our fantastic attorneys today by calling 909-482-1422 or emailing info@parents4children.com.
