How a Founder & Stockbroker Overcame The “Prenup Scaries” using HelloPrenup

How this California couple conquered their fears of discussing a prenup and found a sense of clarity and security using HelloPrenup.

About the Couple

Background

Once upon a time in the tech-savvy Bay Area lived a happily engaged couple—Diana, 26, and John, 38. Diana, a stockbroker, and John, founder of a tech company. Both couldn’t wait to get married, but with their upcoming wedding, an essential conversation needed to happen – the conversation about prenuptial agreements.

A Bay Area Prenup Tale

John had more assets to his name at the time of engagement and gently brought up the idea of a prenup one night over a home-cooked dinner.

“It sent chills down my spine,” says Diana, who thought the idea of a prenup was intimidating and seemed to cast a dark shadow on their fairy-tale romance. John, known affectionately as ‘Jeo’ to Diana, was unsure of how to react. He loved Diana and worried this discussion was going to turn into a fight. He had intended the conversation to be one of fairness and security, but it felt more like a conversation about distrust. To make matters more stressful, the couple was expecting a baby only one month after their wedding.

“It was definitely a sensitive topic for me because sometimes I felt like I didn’t have a lot to offer because he makes double what I do, so I understood what he was getting at where we were to go our separate ways, it would be fair, which I understood. So he is actually the one that did the research and found HelloPrenup, told me about it, and then we purchased it,” Diana says.

When Love Meets Legalities

With a mix of curiosity and skepticism, John and Diana began to explore the legal maze that is prenups. John, always the researcher, did a lot of googling. Diana called one of her good friends who she knew had a prenup with her husband. Together, they called a few lawyers, anxiously asking questions around how the process works, how much it costs, and where to begin. The process of calling attorneys felt really stressful to Diana. “I just felt like it put us on different teams and made the process less collaborative” she said.

In his research, John stumbled upon HelloPrenup.

“It promised affordability, user-friendliness, and more importantly, a process we could walk through together. In our minds, we were planning on coming up with a couple thousand each to have a lawyer represent us, but HelloPrenup made it way more affordable for us,” says John.

Espresso and Prenups: A Brewed Understanding in a Coffee Shop

Sitting together at their favorite coffee shop, laptops open, and the aroma of fresh espresso in the air, John and Diana took the plunge into the world of HelloPrenup. What once seemed a formidable process was surprisingly user friendly. The platform guided them through organized sections and questions they could understand. Feeling more connected after a positive prenup creation experience is important, and according to a HelloPrenup private study which included couples from all over the country, about 84% of respondents felt more connected to their partner after completing the prenup process.

“The platform itself is very much geared towards couples like us, who may not have much experience with lawyers or legal jargon. I really appreciated the explanations of different terms and the access to useful information on the website,” says Diana.

Let’s Chat Money, Honey

John and Diana’s journey wasn’t without its challenges. Topics like inheritance and business assets are not exactly the stuff of romantic poetry. Diana and John found common ground, compromises, and mutual understanding. The couple ultimately negotiated to keep potential future inheritances separate and keep any business ventures separate.

“He was worried about inheritance, and I said that we can make a disclosure that any inheritances that he received would always be his, and my inheritances I received would always be mine. So even if we were married, if he were to receive anything, it’s still not mine, which I was totally fine with. And I said that he can have it in his own account separate from us. And then the same with me, so there’s that aspect of it.

If we were to create businesses together, over time, would I have any rights to the business if I were to participate in them? So I think something I brought up is, ‘If I’m married and I’m participating in the business, and then at one point we’re not married, I feel like if I had been putting effort into the business for the entire time, and we were to split, I feel like I should also have a right to some of it. It doesn’t have to be anything substantial”, but then he’s like, ‘Well, but it’s…’ And said, ‘What if it’s my business?” And I said, ‘Well, if you want to just keep things separate, you can just work on the business yourself, then I’m not going to put my time and energy into it. Because at the end of the day, if things were to go sour, I feel like I would’ve put in effort to a business was all for nothing.

So I understood that side of it from his side, and I wanted to support that, but I also had to look out for myself and say, “I can’t, as a partner, put in 10 years of supporting you in this business if it’s really not going to… If at the end of the day, none of it is actually belonging to me.” So that was kind of my side of it too. So then we got into, “Maybe we should just keep everything separate. Maybe I should just have my own business and I keep my financials separate and we have separate properties”, and then he can also have his separate businesses. And I think that’s where he’s like, ‘No, I want to do things together.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, then we have to actually do things together,” Diana explains.

Benefits and Positive Outcomes:

HelloPrenup significantly simplified the prenuptial agreement process for Diana and John. Diana felt relieved as the platform allowed them to discuss and organize their assets systematically. The platform’s user-friendly interface and organization made it easier for them to compartmentalize each section and engage in fruitful discussions about their financial future.

“In hindsight, we had been discussing our prenup for years and it just left like this weight was lifted off our shoulders with HelloPrenup because it forced us to have these conversations and not have to involve strangers that we don’t know and don’t trust. It was solely me and my partner wanting to move forward in our life and we can just sit down and have a full conversation, piece by piece without having to be all about Doom’s Day and related to divorce,” says Diana.

Sailing Smoothly Into the Future: HelloPrenup Harmony

Diana ‘s experience with HelloPrenup demonstrates the platform’s ability to alleviate the stress and complexity often associated with prenuptial agreements. In particular, HelloPrenup was able to ease any tensions between Diana and John by helping them get to the spiritual “why” they were getting an prenup and how to both feel empowered in the process.

“I just want to feel secure in our relationship. So it was scary to think, ‘Okay, great. My husband is successful and he’s had more to accumulate in assets over time, and I never want to take any of that away, but if I commit myself to someone, especially him, and then we were to go our separate ways, I need to make sure that I’m safe and secure no matter what. I do have my own anxiety about things at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone wants to be a single mom or a divorcee, right? So it was stressful to think that if we were to go our separate ways, and I didn’t have a little bit of security, then I would just be scared that I would end up in a really bad place,” Diana explains.

By empowering couples to have open conversations and create their own prenups, HelloPrenup offered a valuable solution for Diana and John seeking security and fairness in their relationship. Diana ‘s positive experience highlights the platform’s potential to make prenuptial agreements more approachable and less intimidating for individuals in similar situations. In fact, according to HelloPrenup’s study on prenuptial agreements, over 77% of couples who reported having a prenuptial agreement are still married today.

“HelloPrenup made our prenup process lighter. It took a lot of the pressure off and it simplified the entire process while giving us everything that we wanted. Something that sounded so overwhelming and stressful and intimidating became a whole lot easier and comforting. My husband was so happy too and we were finally not stressed about this process at all.” says Diana.

Key Takeaways:

Hey Future Spouse!

Heading up HelloPrenup and being entrenched in family law, I have observed the undeniable importance of financial transparency in relationships. It’s heartening to see a surge in couples choosing prenups prior to their vows, signaling a greater understanding of the fiscal implications of marriage. At HelloPrenup, it’s our mission to guide soon-to-be-weds on aligning on their finances and property for a harmonious, long-lasting marriage.

Informed choices are invariably the wisest, especially when it’s about a cornerstone like your shared financial future. I’m a true believer that when couples are well-informed, they’re in a prime position to make decisions that resonate with their unique bond and circumstances.

There are many of ways to learn about prenups, from diving into case law, understanding state specific divorce laws, to seeking legal advice. While these avenues are all important and part of the process, they can sometimes lack the relatability of shared stories and experiences from couples in similar shoes. At HelloPrenup, we vouch for the authenticity of firsthand accounts from participants who were open and excited about sharing their journeys, offering a more personal lens with which you can view your options.

Our case studies offer a candid look at prenups in action, detailing diverse couple journeys in crafting their own agreements. By presenting these narratives, our goal is to enhance your comprehension of prenups, equipping you with diverse perspectives.

Cheers!

Julia Rodgers, Esq.

Julia Rodgers is HelloPrenup’s CEO and Co-Founder. She is a Massachusetts family law attorney and true believer in the value of prenuptial agreements. HelloPrenup was created with the goal of automating the prenup process, making it more collaborative, time efficient and cost effective. Julia believes that a healthy marriage is one in which couples can openly communicate about finances and life goals. You can read more about us here.

Questions? Reach out to Julia directly at Hello@Helloprenup.com.