Free US Law Dictionary

Prenuptial Agreement

A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into by two people prior to marriage or civil union. The content of a prenuptial agreement can vary widely, but commonly includes provisions for the division of property should the couple divorce and any rights to spousal support during or after the dissolution of marriage.

Many countries, including Canada (Quebec), France, Italy, and Germany, have matrimonial regimes, in addition to, or some cases, in lieu of prenups. In these countries, a couple elects to own property under a separate or shared property, either by meeting with a notary or by signing the agreement in front of the public officer that marries them. Some countries have signed on to the Hague Convention on Marital Regimes. These act much like prenups by allowing the parties to own property either separately or jointly.

The United Kingdom as of 2007 does not enforce prenuptial agreements (although there have been some notable exceptions). They also do not have a provision for marital regimes.