More and more people are choosing to draft marital agreements in the United States to protect their assets and to ensure that important decisions are mutually agreed upon.  However, people must remember that certain factors must be met before a marital agreement will be considered legally binding.  These factors are outlined below:

1)  The marital agreement must be in writing.  If it is not in writing, it may not be enforceable in court.  All marital agreements should also be signed by both parties.

2)  Mutually binding promises.  Marital agreements should include mutually binding promises that have value for each party that signs the agreement.

3)  Full disclosure of assets.  When signing a marital agreement, each party must agree that the agreement is fair and that assets were fully disclosed.  This means that one party cannot hide information about income, assets or finances from the other party or else the agreement may not be binding.

If you are thinking about drafting a marital agreement, now is the time to get help from a Jacksonville family lawyer at Ellerin & Hutchinson. Contact our law firm now!

Recently, news sources announced that Tara Ried called off her engagement to Michael Axtmann, an internet entrepreneur.  According to reports, Ried cut ties with her fiancé because he wanted her to sign a prenuptial agreement.  This information was revealed during an interview with Ried's potential father-in-law.

The couple was supposed to get married last month.  However, the wedding was called off at the last minute.  Later, the 34 year old Axtmann confirmed that the wedding did not happen due to "legal reasons".   Now, his father Siegfried Axtmann is coming forward with allegations that the marital contract led to the couple's separation.

A month before cancelling the wedding, Ried seemed to be ecstatic about the marriage.  She had been speaking openly about the big day and told news sources that she would look like a "princess".  Now, circumstances seem to have drastically changed.

If you need help with a nuptial agreement or have questions about marital contracts, do not hesitate to contact Ellerin Hutchinson and speak with a Jacksonville family lawyer.

It seems as if every week another article or news story is released discussing the high divorce rate around the country. But one recently released CBS New poll says those people who are married are happily married, and would marry their spouse again.

The poll found that 9 out of 10 married Americans would remarry their spouse again, and that many have few regrets about their decision to get married. Men are also slightly more likely to believe in love at first sight than women. 47% of men believe in the idea of love at first sight compared to 44% of women.

One might find it interesting that 95% of men say they’d remarry their wives, compared to 85% of women who said they would marry their husbands again. When asked what factor contributed most to a successful marriage, 49% of the respondents picked respect, followed by trust (37%), sense of humor came (10%), sex (2%), and lastly money at 0%.

With so many divorces and custody battles reported in the news, it’s nice to know there are still some people who are happy and in love. Ellerin Hutchinson offers a number of legal services to married couples, including help creating marital contracts, postnuptial agreements, and other documents designed to protect the couple’s property rights and best interests.

Would you like more information regarding  marital rights and contracts? Connect with an attorney at Ellerin Hutchinson today by calling (904) 866-4489!