In my law practice, I am privileged to work with a large number of skilled professionals in many fields, including artists, designers, and craftsmen. One of these is Joe Busillo, owner of SPB Stoneworks Ltd of Rossville, Pennsylvania. Below is a writing that draws a few metaphoric parallels between the work of an artist/craftsman who creates memorials for families and the work of a lawyer who creates washington prenuptial agreements for engaged couples. I hope you find it helpful. Joe Busillo is a skilled craftsman who passed on his father’s artistry and craftsmanship skills onto his son to continue the family business of creating one-of-a-kind memorial stones for deceased loved ones. He prides himself on listening carefully to clients to understand their unique requirements and is frequently praised for his attention to detail and high quality work. As a family lawyer, this reminds me of how I must listen to my client’s concerns and future goals in order to craft a prenuptial agreement that meets the needs of the client and their anticipated future circumstances.
Like a memorial stone, a prenuptial agreement is intended to create a lasting legacy as well. And like a memorial stone, a good prenuptial agreement will be carefully crafted with appropriate attention to detail. Obviously the creation of a wedding ring or memorial stone can have deep emotional significance. I remember watching late night television when a well-known spokesperson described how he purchased an engraved ring for his wife shortly before their divorce was complete. He described how important it was to him to have left that meaningful gift behind in case she had second thoughts and changed her mind about the divorce. Quite likely this precision combined with such emotion inspired the old tradition of engagement rings.
Of course, the same precision, craftsmanship, and personalization, should go into a prenuptial agreement that will last well into the future. Like the careful planning and attention to detail that goes into crafting a custom-made memorial stone, a couple should be willing to spend enough time and attention to detail to work with their respective lawyers to craft an appropriate and enforceable prenuptial agreement. In the preparation of a prenuptial agreement, that may mean dedicating several hours of time from both the couple and their respective lawyers, and perhaps additional time for independent or joint meetings with financial and tax experts.
Perhaps too many people think that a prenuptial agreement can just be downloaded off the internet or copied from their friends or relatives. After all, the internet, their friends and lawyers are saying that prenuptial agreements are ‘standard’ or ‘typical’. If so, what is the benefit of spending money on a prenuptial agreement if their rights are not being protected? Of even greater concern might be the limits of the internet or their friend/relative’s knowledge and experience about prenuptial agreements. I have handled many cases over the years where copies or examples of other prenuptial agreements were not drafted correctly and were therefore not legally enforceable, or contained conditions or provisions that the drafting lawyer did not fully understand. In short, the drafter of such prenuptial agreements did not have the knowledge or experience to advise the client of the potential pitfalls or risks involved.
For more information on the importance of prenuptial agreements, you can visit Wikipedia.