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What you could learn from Jeff Bezos’ divorce

On Behalf of | Feb 7, 2019 | Divorce |

For the Amazon-founding billionaire and his soon-to-be former wife, it may have been good for Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos to have had a prenuptial agreement, or prenup. Though it may be too soon to determine how much a settlement and support arrangement will cost the richest man in the world, there is an estimated $136 billion at stake.

How a prenup could help ease tensions in divorce

While news surrounding the Bezos’ split is speculative, it could serve to show why you might consider a prenup before you marry. At some point, if you determine your marriage is over, your prenup could prevent a great deal of disputes during your divorce proceedings. Such an agreement could help you:

  • Maintain autonomy regarding future earnings
  • Protect the assets with which you enter your marriage
  • Safeguard your business interests
  • Preserve an inheritance

Your prenup could also outline your plans for spousal support, especially if one of you sacrifices your career to raise your children.

California property division without a prenup

A prenup can help you determine the division of your assets in the event that you later divorce. Since California is a community property state, your marital assets will be divided equally without one.

For example, if Bezos resided in California and had such an agreement established, rather than doing away with roughly $68 billion he could have potentially protected his:

  • Real estate
  • Stocks
  • Automobiles
  • Life insurance

A prenup could have also protected his business property, Amazon.

Though you may not foresee having billions of dollars in assets to divide if you divorce, protecting your property may still be worthwhile. Perhaps you have children from a previous marriage and you want to guard their financial future. Or, maybe you, too, have concepts which could dominate the market. Whatever your interests are, you may be wise to consider protecting them before they enter into a dispute.

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