Love is blind. So, the idea of having a prenuptial agreement seems very unromantic and cold. With the increasing rate of divorces today, having a prenuptial agreement should be looked upon as a considerate and practical way to make decisions on certain issues regarding financial matters, prior to the marriage.

Prenuptial agreements are not the current lifestyles trends as they are made out to be in most cases. They have existed for a very long time albeit known differently. 1848 saw the Married Women's Property Act which brought into focus the need for prenuptial agreements for women in United States. Until this act saw the light of the day and became law, everything a woman ever owned or inherited was in the name of the husband or transferred to the husband. The wife went into a catch 22 if the husband divorced her or just kicked the bucket.

Prenuptial agreements have become very common today. As per their popularity, they are not only for the rich and the famous but also for normal middle class couples. Couples who feel the need to be upfront and get the financial riddles out of the way before enjoying the married bliss go in for prenuptial agreements.

A prenuptial agreement is a valid contract, duly signed and notarized and specifies how the married couple will handle the financial aspects of their life after marriage. Contrary to many descriptions, a prenuptial agreement has positive benefits unrelated to divorce and many a times it has been known to prevent divorces.

A prenuptial agreement facilitates

• Protection of personal and business assets accumulated before the marriage.

• Revelation of financial expectations of the spouse before the wedding.

• Discloses any assets a spouse may want to dispose off as per his or her will in the event of death.

• Upon divorce, the prenuptial agreement eliminates fights about finances and assets.

• A well made prenuptial agreement would go a long way in preserving family ties and issues of inheritance.

* A prenuptial agreement can help preserve rights of children from earlier marriages.