CALIFORNIA FAMILY LAW
...Premarital and Postnuptial Agreements
......Agreements Enforced
.........Defenses Rejected
13 Cards On This Topic:
  • Consideration not required for premarital agreement.
  • Postnuptial agreement valid; standard defenses rejected; fiduciary duty narrowed.
  • Lack of an attorney merely one factor to consider in determining voluntariness of party's assent to PMA.
  • W not under undue influence because pregnant and in danger of losing job when H had comparable pressures.
  • Agreement voidable only if terms encourage dissolution.
  • Fam. Code §1615 (c) added substantive, not procedural, provisions that do not apply retroactively to agreements signed before its effective date.
  • W’s claims that she was too busy preparing for the wedding to read or understand the final draft of the PMA were not persuasive.
  • The seven-day waiting period mandated by FC §1615(c)(2) does not apply to parties who are represented by counsel at the outset.
  • Traditional defenses/exceptions to statute of frauds apply to Uniform Premarital Agreement Act.
  • Cal. antenuptial agreement enforced in N.J. despite (1) W's signature a few hours before ceremony, (2) no independent counsel for W and (3) no full disclosure of property by H.
  • Violation of provisions which are not material does not result in rescission of agreement.
  • Agreement drafted by H's attorney and signed 15 minutes before ceremony not void for fraud or undue influence.
  • Acknowledgment not required if proof made to judge.