Watching Your Wallet: Growing trend in couples signing prenups

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- One of the growing trends among younger couples ready to take a trip down the aisle: financial planning in the form of a prenup.

"The numbers say it all -- 53% of engaged millennials under 45 have a signed prenup," says family law attorney and founder of HelloPrenup, Julia Rodgers. "This is up 41%. To me, it's very clear."

Rodgers says the legal contract is no longer about just protecting wealth. It offers transparency.

"This generation watched their parents go through messy divorces," Rodgers said. "This generation of couples, they budget together, they split expenses, they talk about money openly."

More couples are creating "stay-at-home parent" clauses for financial protection.

Provisions include those on retirement contributions, spousal support provisions and provisions based off of how many hours someone works or doesn't work depending on caregiving responsibilities.

"So for example, if you have a stay-at-home mom, she's not earning income, she can have her own bank account and the earning spouse deposits into it every pay period, just like she's making her own money," Rodgers said. "Then she can spend the way she wants, save the way she wants and invest the way she wants."

Rather than viewing prenups as a sign of mistrust, Rodgers says it's an outline of support.

"Everybody should have a conversation about money before getting married, but have the conversation before life forces it on you," she said. "Decide on paper, what happens if one of you steps back from a career? It shifts both of your finances for years."

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