Pre-marital bliss

Getting married can be a stressful time for couples.  Becoming a union, sharing assets and creating a family are some of the biggest life changers an individual can experience.  In order to protect assets, many couples sign a prenuptial agreement.  While some prenups are pretty standard, others have seemingly outrageous terms that may be difficult to fulfill. 

So is the case for an unnamed bride in New York, who sought the advice of social media strangers regarding the prenup her neurosurgeon fiancé presented her. In the prenup, her fiancé not only outlines the consequences of potential infidelity; but also, lists a requirement for his wife to lose all baby weight within a year, when they have children.  The baby term goes a step further, with the fiancé promising to monetarily reward his future wife after she gives birth to each of their children.

The pre-marriage contract was drafted and presented by the neurosurgeon’s father, who is an attorney. Commenters on social media urge the 29-year-old New Yorker to seek her own legal representation, as some of the existing terms may set the woman up for a failed marriage. It only makes sense for the woman to discuss this contract with her own lawyer, to ensure that her fiancé is not the only party who benefits or protects himself.  Some people presented the possibility of the woman stipulating counter consequences for the future husband’s weight gain and potential infidelity. Who is to say only the wife should lose any gained weight or suffer as a result of cheating?

The 29-year-old’s main concern is whether or not the terms are legal and could be enforceable.  In particular, she questioned the legality of her future husband paying her for giving birth.  While that stipulation may seem immoral or archaic, it is not a tremendously uncommon condition in a prenup.  The requirement for the woman to lose baby weight within a year of giving birth, however, appears irrational.  The highlighted terms of the prenup, as well as the future bride’s doubt, may serve as a foreshadow of the couple’s future.