Prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements and marital settlement agreements state the rights, obligations and agreements regarding assets, debts, property distribution and, if applicable, support, child custody and visitation between the parties. A principal difference among these agreements is the timing of when they are made. A prenuptial agreement is entered into by a couple before they get married and addresses issues of estate planning as well as potential separation and divorce issues.  These are often sought and considered when families have businesses and family wealth, as well as in cases involving second marriages and blended families. In contrast, a postnuptial agreement is executed after a couple gets married and addresses issues of support, property, gifts, inheritance or other issues of importance to the parties.

A Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA), also referred to as a Property Settlement Agreement (PSA), is a written contract dividing a couple’s property, spelling out rights and settling issues such as alimony, health insurance and estate rights.  The requirements of an MSA or PSA differ among the various jurisdictions of Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Our team has extensive experience using prenuptial, postnuptial and marital settlement agreements to help make a divorce action, especially an uncontested divorce action, move more quickly and smoothly towards a resolution.

To speak with a Shulman Rogers attorney about any of these agreements in Maryland, Virginia or Washington D.C., contact us.

Associates