Getting Married Without A Prenup Is Like Practicing Medicine Without Malpractice Insurance
Getting married without a Florida prenuptial agreement is like practicing medicine without malpractice insurance. That sentiment, shared by panelist Dr. Tyler Scott on episode 390 of the White Coat Investor Podcast, resonates because it speaks the language of professionals who already understand risk management.
You insure against events you hope never happen. Not because you expect disaster, but because ignoring risk does not make it disappear.
A prenup works the same way. When done thoughtfully, it is not a prediction of divorce. It is a financial planning tool that helps you and your partner make intentional decisions, have necessary conversations, and reduce uncertainty about the future.
Quick Answer
A prenuptial agreement created through a Collaborative Process treats marriage planning like financial planning, prioritizing transparency, fairness, and clarity while reducing the risk the agreement will later be challenged.
Key Takeaways
- Not everyone needs a prenup, but many professionals benefit from one
- Prenups can function as financial planning and marriage preservation tools rather than divorce planning
- Poor financial disclosure and accusations of duress are common reasons Florida prenups fail
- Collaborative prenups remove incentives to draft litigation-focused clauses
- Neutral financial and mental health professionals strengthen enforceability
- The process can be constructive rather than adversarial
Prenups Are Not New, and They Are Not About Distrust
The idea of addressing finances before marriage is not modern or cynical. Marriage contracts have existed for centuries across cultures, including the Ketubah in Jewish tradition and the Nikah in Islamic tradition. These agreements addressed property rights and financial expectations long before modern family law existed.
What is new is the tendency to view prenups only through the lens of divorce litigation. That narrow framing misses their broader purpose.
A prenup can help you talk about saving, spending, investing, financial independence, and long-term security before conflict enters the picture. In that sense, it is often more about divorce prevention than divorce planning.
Not Everyone Needs a Prenup, But Many Professionals Do
A prenup is not mandatory for every couple. It is simply one tool in a larger planning toolbox.
It is especially helpful if you are:
- Already established in your career
- Entering a second marriage or blending families
- A business owner or professional practice owner
- Expecting significant inheritance or family gifts
- Someone who values privacy and autonomy
- A couple that wants to make your own rules rather than default to state law
For many doctors, lawyers, executives, and business owners, Florida’s default laws are blunt instruments applied to complex lives.
Why Traditional Prenups Can Fail in Florida
Prenuptial agreements are regularly challenged and sometimes invalidated in Florida. The most common reasons are not technical drafting errors. They are human problems.
Two issues come up repeatedly:
- Inadequate or poorly documented financial disclosure
- Claims that the agreement was rushed, unfair, or signed under pressure or duress
Traditional prenups, negotiated in an adversarial framework, often make these risks worse rather than better.
How the Collaborative Prenup Changes the Incentives
In a Collaborative prenuptial agreement, each fiancé has their own lawyer providing independent legal advice. However, the professionals involved commits to resolving issues without litigation in the event there is ever a dispute related to the agreement in the future.
If a contested court filing is made in the future, the Collaborative professionals must withdraw and cannot represent either party in court. That rule fundamentally changes behavior.
There is no incentive to draft vague or aggressive clauses designed to be argued over later. The focus shifts to clarity, durability, and mutual understanding. This structure encourages problem-solving rather than posturing.
And it makes it much more likely that the prenup will be upheld for you if you ever need it.
The Role of a Neutral Financial Professional
Financial disclosure is one of the most important factors in whether a prenup holds up. It is also one of the most common failure points.
A neutral financial professional can help by:
- Organizing and documenting full financial disclosure
- Explaining complex assets like businesses, equity compensation, and retirement plans
- Ensuring both partners understand the financial picture
- Helping the couple consider how intertwined or independent they would like their finances throughout the marriage
This protects both people. It also significantly reduces the risk that a court later finds the agreement unfair or uninformed.
The Role of a Neutral Facilitator
Even a financially sound agreement can be challenged if one person later claims they were pressured or unheard.
A neutral facilitator, a licensed mental health professional, helps ensure and document that:
- Both partners are fully heard
- The pace allows for informed decision-making
- The negotiation is balanced and respectful
- The agreement is not made under duress
This documentation can be critical if enforceability is ever questioned. Just as important, it often makes the experience itself more humane.
What’s more, the Facilitator can make difficult but necessary conversations easier to get through. This can help strengthen the marriage as you and your fiancé each understand the other’s views about investing, saving, and values, and make it so that you have a long, successful marriage.
Can the Prenup Process Be Better Than People Expect?
Yes. It can.
When you remove litigation incentives, work with an interdisciplinary team, and focus on interests rather than positions, the prenup process becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.
It can help you:
- Address difficult topics before resentment builds
- Understand each other’s financial values
- Create a shared vision for your future
That mindset is central to how we approach prenuptial agreements at Family Diplomacy.
Learn More About Prenups and Postnups as Financial Planning Tools
Family Diplomacy has in-depth experience in representing doctors, executives, professionals, and others who currently have or expect to have wealth or complex finances. If you want a deeper, practical discussion, you can watch managing attorney Adam B. Cordover‘s presentation to the Bogleheads community in 2025 on how prenuptial and postnuptial agreements function as financial planning tools, including common pitfalls and ways to make agreements more durable:
A Thoughtful Way to Plan for Marriage
A prenuptial agreement does not mean you expect your marriage to fail. It means you respect the seriousness of the commitment you are making.
If you want to explore a Collaborative approach to prenuptial planning in Florida, I invite you to schedule a private virtual planning meeting or contact Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm by calling us at (813) 443-0615 or clicking the button below.
You are not alone. We can help.
