Often, people who own a certain number of assets at the time of marriage want a prenuptial agreement just to confirm what each party has at the time of marriage and the value of those assets. This eliminates many problems years later when the couple separates. Each partner will know the value of the property that each has brought into the marriage and that this will be taken into account during their separation. Veterinarians are not immune to personal problems that affect their professional life and business. Veterinarians are not immune to marital difficulties that can affect their businesses and assets and place their future in the hands of third parties. The attached article, written by Brian Ausman DVM, MBA, LLB, discusses the role of prenuptial agreements, legally sound and mutually fair documents that can protect the veterinarian and spouse “just in case.” Please note that this article was written from the perspective of Ontario law, but the issues raised are of value to any Canadian professional. Many of us can honestly say that we entered into marriage, motivated by a deep desire to help the person we wanted to marry. Our intention was to make them happy. However, if needs are not met, spouses may return to a contractual mentality. A fundamental question that should be asked at the beginning of any discussion about the future of the state`s approach to marriage is simply this: let us therefore look for another word. Maybe “contract” is not quite right.
It just doesn`t hit the mark. Marriage is one of them…. Boot? Now the federal government is more difficult to define. The Word lives in the secular and religious worlds. As my husband, who is also a lawyer, recently pointed out (quickly, between phone calls, where he took a long time for his wife to twist her hand because of love and everything): “Sarah, all contracts are alliances. We use the word interchangeable. Marriage is an alliance, not a contract. Marriage is supposed to be a commitment to which we maintain trust and fidelity until we are separated by death. In a covenant, we place the needs of the relationship above our own needs and humbly serve one another, just as Christ serves the Church. Both of these answers are essential in a federal marriage. Confrontation means blaming the other person for their actions.
Forgiveness means the willingness to lift the punishment and pursue a loving and growing relationship. Ignoring your spouse`s failures is not the path to marital growth. Marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment. There`s a reason why traditional marriage vows include the phrase “Until death, you divorce.” Marriage, as God intended it, is a commitment to life, in good times and bad. Enjoy life with the woman you love, all the days of your ephemeral life that He gave you under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:9a People sign a lease because they want a car. The seller signs the contract because he wants the commission. Many conversations in marriage are motivated to get something. When it comes to prenuptial agreements, many people turn to a lawyer a few weeks before their wedding and want a simple marriage contract.
But once all the options have been explained, they find that a few weeks do not leave enough time to conclude the agreement. Unfortunately, prenuptial agreements tend to be more complicated and take longer to work than most people realize. First, contracts are of limited duration and generally have a time limit; In contrast, covenants are supposed to be permanent until “death separates us.” When someone sees marriage as a contract, he or she says, “I`m going to take you as a spouse and see if this relationship works.” When someone sees marriage as a covenant, he or she says, “I will give you everything about me and I will be engaged in this marriage for a lifetime.” As Tommy Nelson tells men, “When you get married, you`ll be measured for your tuxedo and coffin at the same time!” As a general rule, people with significant assets, such as professional practice, . B or who enter into a second marriage, want a marriage contract that clearly defines their property rights at death and prevents their children from taking legal action to obtain from the other spouse more than is provided for in the parents` will. Given that every marriage (including the successful one) ends in one of 2 ways (separation or death) and that family law issues arise in both scenarios, couples with significant assets have good reason to worry about the family law implications of their remarriage. The problem arises when you only consider your marriage as a contract or as a series of contracts. When this happens, you will have become secular in your thinking and abandoned the biblical view of marriage. The Bible ultimately considers marriage to be a covenant, although contracts can be an important part of fulfilling your covenant.
Couples with this mentality, in which one of the spouses relies on the other spouse to be happy, can struggle deeply in the early years of their marriage. However, this exception does not mean that one of the members of a couple cannot waive a right to approximate the value of a matrimonial dwelling belonging to one of them on the day of the marriage. In addition, people often deal with the sale and possession of the marital home in marriage contracts and ask the court to follow their letter of intent. Veterinarians should be aware of the problems with which marriage contracts have been developed so far. It is clear that the decision to enter into such a contract is very personal and will be influenced by your specific situation and values. Prenuptial agreements are just one of many legal tools that can be used to meet your specific needs. This article is not intended to replace legal advice, which necessarily depends on the specific facts of the case. Third, considering marriage as a contract does not emphasize the personal virtue of the parties involved; In contrast, a covenant-based view of marriage emphasizes the personal virtue of those involved.
Part of giving the heart of oneself in a covenant involves moral virtue and fidelity to ethical standards. There are moral obligations in an alliance that are not normally required for a contract. For example, a phone contract doesn`t require me to be an honest, kind, and virtuous person. As long as I pay my bill on time, there are no problems. However, a covenant requires two people to live a life of virtue in order to maintain a relationship and not just abide by the terms of a contract. Fourth, while contracts with relational detachment can and continue to continue, marriage alliances cannot. Don`t miss the intimacy implied in Genesis 2:25: “They were naked and not ashamed.” This reflects the deepest openness and intimacy that a man and a woman can have. The openness and transparency of sexual intimacy is a symbol of unity, which is the purpose of an alliance and in which personal autonomy is abandoned. Second, contracts minimize forgiveness; Covenants emphasize forgiveness. In a covenant, we make the deal and realize that we are marrying a sinner, just as God`s salvation covenant is with us as sinners.
So if you think of marriage as a covenant, it means forgiveness of sin if your spouse abandons you. While a covenant marriage does not give an irresponsible spouse a free hand for infidelity and violent behavior, it does mean that we are willing to forgive each other for hurt feelings and offenses that are common to even the best marriages. A contract can also be concluded by two people in secret. I can enter into a confidential contract with someone who will only be accessible to the public if and when that person violates that contract and I involve the judicial authorities. My signatures will be proof that such a confidential contract has been concluded. .