Valentine’s Day Proposal

Proposals on Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Here at Maguire Family Law, we love a good celebration day as much as everyone else. We understand that Valentines’ Day can be a great excuse to celebrate the love and romance that you have with your partner, but equally it can be a difficult day for those who have recently experienced a break up.

Bloggers at www.chillisauce.com surveyed 10,000 people about their views on proposals of marriage. 36% of candidates stated that they thought Valentine’s Day was the best time of year to propose. Of those who voted for Valentine’s Day, 40% are men.

Despite common belief, we love the sound of wedding bells and a good party! But as lawyers, we always have the legal consequences in the back of our minds. Without sounding too cynical on Valentines’ Day, we want to highlight some of the things that could get missed by those romancers wanting to ‘pop the question’ today. Have a read below:

1. The ring

Without taking away from the romance of the proposal, you need to be clear on what basis you are giving the ring to your fiancé(e).

If the ring is a multi-million pound heirloom, or a sentimental piece that has been passed down through generations, then you are going to want to be very clear that the ring is conditional on the marriage going ahead. If you’re not, you’re unlikely to get it back if the engagement goes pear shaped.

2. The money

Are you 100% certain that, in the event of a divorce, you would want all of your assets to be shared with your (then) ex-wife/ husband? If not, you should look into getting a pre-nuptial agreement drawn up.

A prenuptial agreement (or pre-nup for short) is a legal document which sets out the terms of your break-up, should that ever happen. Whilst a pre-nup is not 100% binding, it carries much more weight in the courts if both you and your spouse have taken legal advice from separate solicitors. You must both be certain that you agree to all of the terms of the agreement before signing.

A key thing to remember when considering a pre-nup, is that it must be prepared and signed well in advance of the wedding. There is no point in turning up at a solicitor’s office on the eve of the wedding and asking to ring-fence the £50,000 that your Mum has just gifted you as a wedding present.

3. The pets

What would happen to your beloved pets if you were to split up? There is no reason why you cannot have a pet-nup drafted, too!

A pet-nup works in exactly the same way as a pre-nup. It sets out who would keep the pet, or whether you would have a shared care arrangement.

Who will pay for the pet insurance, the food and the pet pampering? Check the pet-nup! This is the best way of setting out what the arrangements would be for your furry friend if you were to split up.

Here at Maguire Family Law, we are experts in advising people on all aspects of family law.

Whenever your relationship develops to ‘the next stage’, it is best to take legal advice.

If you’re moving in together, you might want to consider getting a cohabitation agreement drawn up. If you’re going to propose, think of a pre-nup/ pet-nup, and if you’re already married but you’re worried about protecting your assets, ask us about post-nups.