Prenuptial Agreement Valid Despite Husband�s Failure To Disclose Income

A court ruled that a prenuptial agreement is valid even though the husband told the wife the agreement was merely a formality and didn�t disclose he had about $8.5 million in assets. The couple had lived together without marriage for about four years when the wife got pregnant. While she was at a clinic waiting to terminate the pregnancy, the husband called and asked her not to have the abortion, but to marry him. She agreed. About 10 days before the wedding he asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement prepared by his attorney. The wife contends that the husband told her that the agreement was only a formality and that he would always take care of her. She took the agreement to an attorney the husband paid for, but the attorney advised her that he didn�t have time to fully examine it before the wedding. The wife ultimately signed the prenup after the life insurance benefit was increased and the alimony provisions were modified. At the time the agreement was executed, the wife had a net worth of $10,000; the husband�s net worth was at least $8.5 million. After 18 years of marriage and four children, the husband filed for divorce. At that time his net worth was about $22.7 million. A trial court held that the prenuptial agreement was enforceable and awarded the wife $2,900 in alimony for four years. The court also ruled that the husband was entitled to all the assets he accumulated prior to and during the marriage.