When a couple in Illinois or other area of the country chooses to marry, they typically do so with the intention of spending the rest of their lives together. Even with this expectation, many couples choose to create a prenuptial agreement, just in case their marriage should end in divorce. While such an agreement can usually help reduce some of the conflict associated with divorce proceedings, a couple in another state has experienced conflict regarding whether their prenup should be enforceable.
The case involves a newspaper publisher and his estranged wife. According to reports, the couple married in 2010, and the wife filed for divorce in 2017. They reportedly signed a prenuptial agreement that gives the woman $900,000 in the event of a divorce.
However, the husband requested that the judge rule that the prenup is invalid. He also asked that the marriage be annulled, arguing that the woman only married him for his money. In court papers, he claims that his wife poisoned him, but law enforcement officers have cleared her of any wrongdoing; she argues that his claims are “ludicrous.”
A judge has recently ruled against his requests. Though a prenuptial agreement can potentially reduce conflict if the couple decided to divorce, this case shows that they can still be challenged. As such, those seeking to create such a document in Illinois often seek guidance from an experienced professional to ensure that any agreements are enforceable and advise them on potential steps to take to make sure a document is less susceptible to a successful challenge.
