Rebecca Meyer
This man is friends with an engaged couple named Jimmy and Maggie, and they’re all from the Netherlands. Before planning the wedding, Jimmy thought it would be a good idea for him and Maggie to talk about their finances because they have student loans, and the wedding will be expensive.
However, Maggie told Jimmy they should appreciate and focus on their happy engagement and upcoming wedding, adding that going into the specifics of their finances right now wasn’t romantic.
While Jimmy understood her perspective, he suggested they meet with a civil notary official to draw up a straightforward prenuptial agreement to protect their finances and assets. He told her the prenup would be beneficial and fair for both of them.
“She got upset and said that he was already preparing for a divorce and leaving her stranded (to me, this would be a red flag and grounds for a more in-depth discussion),” he said.
He works as a legal professional and visited Jimmy and Maggie recently. While hanging out with them, they asked for his expert advice and opinion.
So, he told them they’re adorable together, which was true, and they are kind to their friends, in-laws, and family members, which was also accurate. After adding that they were conscientious, he eased into his views that may be tougher for them to hear.
“If you forget about the emotional fluff and look at the divorce statistics, the odds are not in your favor. Knowing this, marrying without a prenup is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute (I stole this sentence from a divorce lawyer who appeared in Soft White Underbelly; thank you, YouTube),” he explained.
After explaining his thoughts on prenups, Maggie was furious and demanded he get out. According to her, he wasn’t supportive of their engagement or marriage. In response, he told her that since she and Jimmy wanted free legal advice from him, she shouldn’t whine when he didn’t tell her what she was hoping to hear.
“I also said that finances are important in a marriage, and as a couple, they should be more aligned in this respect and have a real conversation about this,” he shared.
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