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Challenges in Preparing the Prenuptial Agreement
Part One of a Two-Part Article
Many attorneys, even those who do not regularly practice matrimonial or family law, may find themselves in a situation in which a client who is contemplating marriage asks for advice on the preparation of an antenuptial agreement. This happens, more often than not, when the client is wealthy, has been married and divorced previously, or both. While an antenuptial, or prenuptial, agreement may contain many of the elements of a separation or settlement agreement, it is, in many ways, a more complicated document. As with all agreements, clear and concise drafting is essential. The prenuptial agreement, however, requires additional delicacy and greater consciousness of the too oft ignored Standards Of Civility (22 NYCRR Part 1200). Although, typically, the “pre-nup” involves a marriage other than a first or a situation where one intended spouse is in a superior economic position than the other, in the litigious world in which we find ourselves today we see more and more parties of all kinds who want to define their rights and obligations in the event of divorce or separation — or one of their parents wants them to.
The delicacy of the agreement is in the role of the attorney. We must always remember that our task is not adversarial; it is to find a way to express the parties' intent without obstructing their desire to be married. Since the goal is marriage, we owe it to our clients not to get in the way, but to advise them of the consequences of the terms they want, the terms they are asked to agree to, and the issues they have not contemplated. For those clients who are concerned about having a prenuptial agreement, it is the client who must decide whether the agreement should be an impediment to the marriage. This is not a legal decision to be made by counsel, but a personal one to be made by the parties. (Those who consent to have the agreement prepared and executed should be advised that it is akin to life insurance policy; it serves as protection in the event of a catastrophic event, but one should not think about the security it provides every time one crosses the street. A prenuptial agreement should be put away after it is signed, and married life should proceed without hand wringing or repeated reference to it.)
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
The Stranger to the Deed Rule
In 1987, a unanimous Court of Appeals reaffirmed the vitality of the "stranger to the deed" rule, which holds that if a grantor executes a deed to a grantee purporting to create an easement in a third party, the easement is invalid. Daniello v. Wagner, decided by the Second Department on November 29th, makes it clear that not all grantors (or their lawyers) have received the Court of Appeals' message, suggesting that the rule needs re-examination.
Legal Possession: What Does It Mean?
Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.