WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - For better or worse.
Attorneys in South Florida say that during the COVID-19 pandemic, more couples are requesting prenuptial agreements.
For Amanda Locker, her wedding day felt like a fairy tale.
"Was only thinking marriage, kids, and being married forever," Locker said.
10 years after tying the knot...
"Two beautiful children, but our lives did change. Could I imagine being married today to the same gentleman? Absolutely not," Locker said.
Now the former stay-at-home mom imagines if she would have had a prenuptial agreement.
"I think I would want to sign one to protect myself," Locker said.
According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 60% of family law attorneys surveyed reported an overall rise in prenuptial agreements in recent years.
"There’s been a lot of postnuptial agreements, prenuptial agreements," attorney Abigail Bebe said.
WPTV called six local attorneys and five of them said during the pandemic they’ve seen an increase of prenuptial agreements. Bebe said you should start the process at least three months before the wedding.
"It’s really the ideal time to make plans so when it comes to that if it ever does, there are really fewer things to fight about," Bebe said.
Licensed clinical social worker and family therapist Alyse November said the pandemic is bringing up difficult financial conversations for couples.
"We want to hear, really hear and when we hear we can repeat it and ask somebody did I get it? Did I get everything that you were saying? And the next step we want to have them do is ask them if there’s anything more you want to tell me about this," November said.
This story was first reported by Sabirah Rayford at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida.
