Divorce rates among couples under 35 are rising. Why? Because we rush into love, but not the logistics. And when the glow fades and reality hits—children, money, careers, burnout—one or both people start asking themselves: “Is this really what I signed up for?”
And that’s okay. People change.
But what’s not okay is walking away with nothing, or worse—walking away with debt, financial trauma, and legal battles you never saw coming.
So let’s talk tough love.
Whether you're male or female, straight or gay, madly in love or cautiously optimistic, you must protect yourself financially before marriage.
Here’s What You Need to Do Before You Say “I Do”:
✅ 1. Get a Prenuptial Agreement—Yes, You.
Let’s kill the stigma right here.
A prenup is not planning for divorce.
It’s planning for clarity.
It's saying, “I love you so much, I want us both to be protected no matter what.”
If you have any of the following:
A business
A house
An inheritance
Investments or significant savings
Debts the other person didn't help create
...then you need a prenup. Period.
You wouldn't start a business without a contract. So why would you enter the most expensive legal partnership of your life without one?
And if your partner says, “Don’t you trust me?”
Your response should be:
“Of course I do. And I want us to make smart decisions while we still do.”
✅ 2. Have a Brutally Honest Financial Conversation
Before the wedding cake, have a sit-down with the spreadsheets:
What debts do you each have? (Student loans, car payments, credit cards)
Who owns what assets?
How will you handle joint bills?
Will one of you stay home with kids? If so, how will you be compensated for lost income?
If you can’t talk money, you’re not ready for marriage.
✅ 3. Don’t Stop Building Your Own Credit or Savings
Too many women (and some men) stop building their future the second they build a shared one. Don’t do it.
Keep your own bank account.
Build your own credit score.
Have your own emergency fund.
Shared finances are fine—but separate stability is essential.
✅ 4. Consider a Cohabitation Agreement if You’re Not Getting Married Yet
Living together? Sharing rent? Buying furniture together?
You need a written plan.
What happens if one of you leaves?
Who keeps the dog?
Who gets the couch you both paid for?
Unromantic? Yes.
Necessary? Absolutely.
✅ 5. Set Rules for Future Money—Before You Make It
Let’s say you start a side hustle after marriage and it blows up. Who owns it?
Or your partner suddenly inherits $150,000—what happens to that money?
These things must be discussed while the skies are still blue. Not when the storm hits.
“But He/She Wouldn’t Do That To Me…”
They probably didn’t plan to.
People aren’t always cruel. But when people are scared, ashamed, bitter, or broke—they make decisions that hurt other people. Sometimes it’s out of survival. Sometimes it's spite. And sometimes it's just the slow unraveling of what once felt unbreakable.
That’s why you don’t leave it up to good intentions.
Final Words
Don’t confuse love with blind trust.
You can be madly in love and still protect yourself.
You can believe in forever and still have a backup plan.
Mackenzie didn’t have a prenup.
She added Noah’s name to everything.
She co-signed on a truck that he left her with.
She thought he “would never.”
But he did.
You deserve a love that’s built on respect, not risk.
And part of that respect is making sure you both walk in—and walk out if you must—with your dignity, finances, and future intact.