Upcoming #careergirls looking to protect future wealth

Yes, the times are beginning to change if recent reports from the UK are anything to go by.  What reports and what change? 

Well, to begin with, Victoria Beckham has been announced as the top Entrepreneur for UK and has now overtaken hubby, Becks, in the earning front #lovesit. 

The other story?  Not fashion related but still in line with career driven females, are the latest reports from lawyers in the UK who are reporting a surge in requests for pre-nups from females looking to protect their future assets.  I love this on so many fronts. 

 

Females initiating a change, females forecasting ahead and planning for the worst, but most of all, females recognising that they are going to have something (even) more of value in the future that will need protecting.  Gone are the days where a woman entered into a relationship knowing that she would have brought less to the table at the beginning, earn less throughout and end up with less in superannuation at the end (ok the latter may still be a problem overall given disaparity in equal pay).  But my point is, the new generation of women coming through, i.e. my generation, are seeing a paradigm shift in the earnings front (I was going to say power front - does earnings equal power?  Let's debate that next time!).

 

I personally encourage the use of pre-nups and cohab agreements (no I am not a family lawyer), because I think its important to protect what you bring, or could bring to the table.  I have a firm belief that when you marry, you marry for life, but as a lawyer and realist, one should always be prepared for the worst. 

 

I just hope with the generational change in up and coming power females looking to protect their (future) assets, is not met with discouragement from the wider community or their partners.  A girlfriend from University called me a few years ago wanting a recommendation to a family lawyer because she had just gotten engaged and was about to have her fiance move into the townhouse that she owned.  Her parents had a lot of money, she was involved in a number of trusts, and while her fiance was not without his own earnings, she wanted to protect what her and her family had built up over the years.  He was completely happy with entering into a pre-nup because he recognised the importance of showing that there was no issue with it on his behalf.  Unfortunately, I have not heard similiar stories (one of my guy friend's said entering one at the request of his girlfriend was (to him) a declaration that she earned more).

 

Love is grand, marriage is meant to be even more grand.  But remember you had a life before the marriage, and you will need a life if the marriage fails.  If the option is available, take steps to protect your assets!