Prenuptial agreements are wonderful tools for ensuring everyone’s protection in the worst-case scenario. However, far too many people use selfishly to give themselves all the benefits of marriage without any of the risk of separation, leaving their partner holding the bag in case of divorce.
One man’s prenup agreement expectations seem really out of line, so his bride-to-be came to the internet to see if she was in the wrong.
They Build a Business Together
The Original Poster (OP) says she’s been with her fiance for eight years, and they’ve been engaged for five.
During that time, she helped him build his business. She claims she’s helped him manage it, created contracts, handled customer communication, and provided labor when they were short-staffed. She even went to school for an accounting degree to help him with the books.
Of course, she provided all this labor for free, as she thought they were building a life together. She also took out loans for her accounting degree, which she’s repaying with her own money.
Everything in His Name
Because she worked for free for so long, she doesn’t have a lot of assets in her name. Their home and the business are in his name alone.
The Prenup Gives Him the Business
The prenup he presented leans heavily in favor. It gives him complete control over the business, offering her absolutely nothing in return for all the hard work she contributed over the years.
He says he “wants to protect his business” and justifies the prenup by saying, “If someday you start your own accounting business, a prenup would protect that.”
While that’s true, she hasn’t started an accounting business, partially because she’s invested so much time in helping him build his business, which she clearly thought of as “theirs.”
He said she’s blowing the whole thing out of proportion while she maintains he’s being incredibly unfair. She came to the internet to see what they thought of the situation.
Get an Attorney
The best advice from Reddit told OP to get her own attorney and respond with a prenup outlining an equitable profit share of the business should they split based on their contributions.
“If he refuses the prenup that gives you your fair due after what you have done and are doing, he cannot be trusted,” they advised.
Demand a Salary
Others told OP it’s time to demand a salary. He clearly doesn’t value her contribution, but he’d probably see the error of his ways if he had to pay for all the work she provides.
Of course, a salary wouldn’t compensate her for the years of free labor she already gave, but at least it would offer some protection moving forward.
Why Now?
OP mentioned that it’s three weeks before the wedding, and her husband only now brought up the prenup. They’re wondering why.
OP needs to investigate why he’s marrying her. Does he love and value her, or does he only value the free labor she readily provides?
His attempts to get her to sign away any rights to a business she put her blood, sweat, and tears into for eight years suggests the latter. She needs to discover the truth before the nuptials and decide if he’s the type of man she really wants to spend her life with.
Source: Reddit