PRENUPTIAL OR BINDING FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS

 

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements and information relating to Pre Nups & Financial Agreements in Brisbane.
Prenuptial agreements and binding financial agreements will set out exactly how all or any of the assets, (owned by you at the date of signing the agreement or acquired after signing the agreement), will be divided between you and your partner in the event of breakdown of the marriage or the de facto relationship. The agreement may allow for maintenance issues to be dealt with in marriages and de facto relationships, after divorce or separation.

If you are contemplating marriage or entering a de facto relationship, it is a good idea to get a lawyer to draft and execute a prenuptial agreement/financial agreement for you. You can also have a prenuptial agreement/financial agreement drawn up during your relationship. This will safeguard your personal assets in the event your relationship does not work out.

Always know your legal options by consulting an Accredited Specialist Family Lawyer in Brisbane.

PRE-NUPS, POST-NUPTIALS & BINDING FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS BRISBANE (BFA’S)

Protect your assets and your financial future before, during and after the breakdown of a relationship, partnership or marriage.

If parties in a relationship (family, de facto, same sex couples) come to an agreement on how they intend to divide their assets, then they can enter into Consent Orders or a Prenuptial Agreement/Financial Agreement to make the agreement legally binding.

CONSENT ORDERS

Parties can enter into consent orders to finalise the arrangements in relation to property, children, and spousal maintenance by signing an Application for Consent Orders document and lodging the document with the Family Court of Australia. The Application is considered by the Court and the orders made by a Judicial Officer. Parties can apply for consent orders without the necessity of going to Court.

PRENUPTIAL, POST-NUPTIAL AND BINDING FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS IN BRISBANE

A Prenuptial Agreement is an agreement entered into between parties that relate to spousal maintenance and the distribution of property. A Prenuptial Agreement is not lodged with the Court. There are several types of Prenuptial Agreements.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE LEGISLATION IN REGARD TO DIVORCE PROPERTY SETTLEMENT PLEASE GO TO THE FAMILY LAW ACT. PLEASE REFERENCE SECTIONS 90 & 90U.

PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT AND FINANCIAL AGREEMENT BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN

Parties are able to enter into a prenuptial agreement or financial agreement regarding assets acquired:

• before and during the relationship; as well as
• after the relationship has ended.

Note: Brisbane Prenuptial Agreements and financial agreements can be particularly useful where you have inherited assets from a family estate, or where you have accumulated your own personal wealth from a successful career and making wise investments.

To make an appointment please call us on (free call) 1800 217 217

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BINDING FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS

Some helpful advice if you are considering entering into a Financial Agreement.

Financial Agreements under the Family Law legislation are not simple agreements, especially for same-sex couples. There are certain requirements that must be complied with if the agreements are to be binding. If these requirements are not properly dealt with the Court will have no hesitation in overturning a Financial Agreement should either you or your partner in the future not wish to be bound by its terms.

Solicitors are required to advise the parties entering into a Financial Agreement on the advantages and disadvantages of entering into those agreements. The parties sign a certificate attached to the agreement that they have received this independent legal advice. The solicitors also sign certificates stating that they did provide the advice required prior to the parties signing the agreement.

The advice not only deals with the terms of the agreement itself but also provides full advice on the legislation under the Family Law Act and the positions the parties would be in if they had not entered into the agreement.

Agreements are drafted to suit the particular circumstances of each case. The agreements come under different sections of the Family Law Act depending on whether the parties are in a de facto relationship and wish to remain in that relationship if the parties are in a de facto relationship and intend to marry, an agreement during marriage and also an agreement after a divorce setting out the terms of a property settlement dealing with the financial issues arising from the breakdown and the divorce in the marriage

When drafting the agreement and to enable a solicitor to provide the required advice it is necessary to obtain detailed instructions of the relationship, contributions made by the parties at the commencement of the relationship, and contributions made by the parties during the relationship. Without these instructions, full and proper advice cannot be provided.

Once a client’s instructions have been obtained in regard to the relationship and contributions it is then necessary to obtain the detailed instructions in regard to the wishes of the parties in regard to assets they wish to maintain full and legal control over and those assets which are to be joint assets. Instructions are also required in regard to superannuation, estate rights and spousal maintenance should the relationship break down or if there is a death of one of the parties.

Once the agreement has been drafted setting out the parties’ joint instructions to their respective solicitors it is then necessary to provide detailed advice on the terms of the agreement reached and on the advantages and disadvantages of entering into that agreement.

Unless all these steps are carried out and proper advice given there is a strong possibility that the agreement would be overturned by the Family Court if a party upon separation wishes to set aside the agreement and seek a greater property settlement than that set out in the agreement itself.

It is necessary for both parties to provide schedules setting out their present assets, liabilities, and resources including superannuation. The updated schedules are required to be attached to the Financial Agreement itself.

It is to be hoped that the parties agree on the values of the items set out in the schedules without requiring formal valuations to be carried out. The solicitor acting for the other party is required to give the advice that has been mentioned.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ENTERING INTO A POST-NUP, PRE-NUPTIAL AND FINANCIAL AGREEMENT?

1. A financial agreement does not become a court record. There is no requirement for filing the financial agreement in any court and in particular, there is no requirement for filing a financial agreement in the Family Court.

However, it is necessary that the original agreement is given to one party and that a true copy given to the other party.  It is also necessary that the financial agreement is stored with a person’s important documentation.  The agreement does not come into effect until sometime in the future when a separation occurs and this may not be for a considerable number of years.  Therefore there is an obligation on the parties to maintain the financial agreement in case it does become relevant at some future time.

2. The parties can incorporate spousal maintenance terms into their financial agreement. The parties may wish to define the spousal maintenance to be paid should there be a breakdown in their relationship and should the financial agreement come into force.  Although the financial interests of the parties are clearly defined in the agreement a party in certain circumstances could apply for spousal maintenance after separation even if there have been terms included in the financial agreement preventing the party from applying.

It is advisable to define clearly the spousal maintenance to be paid should a separation occur.

However, the parties should be aware of the provisions of section 90F of the Family Law Act and other provisions where there is a de facto relationship.  These provisions state:-

1. No provision of a financial agreement excludes or limits the power of a court to make an order in relation to the maintenance of a party to a marriage or a de facto relationship if the court is satisfied that, when the agreement came into effect, the circumstances of the party were such that taking into account the terms and effect of the agreement, the party was unable to support himself or herself without an income-tested pension, allowance or benefit.
2. The assessment of the ability of a party to support themselves without an income-tested pension benefit takes place not when the agreement is made but when it takes effect.

ABOUT CHILD MAINTENANCE AND CHILD SUPPORT

In regard to child maintenance or child support terms for child support, terms can be inserted in a financial agreement but such terms must meet the requirements of the Child Support (Assessment) Act.  Effectively a child support provision in a financial agreement can only set out on a temporary basis the child support obligations of a party to the agreement.  Once a child support assessment is made by the Child Support Agency, any child support provision in a financial agreement ceases to have an effect and is unenforceable.

3. Provisions can be incorporated into a financial agreement to determine the superannuation interests of the parties. That is pursuant to the terms of the agreement the parties can determine how their superannuation entitlements will be paid if there is a separation of the parties and when the terms of the agreement come into effect.  However, careful consideration must be given to the drafting of terms in regard to superannuation.  A number of a person’s entitlements will only become known when the agreement comes into effect upon separation or the death of one party.  As in a court order, there can be a splitting of a person’s superannuation entitlements.  However, the drafting of such terms must satisfy the requirements of the trustee of the particular fund.  The superannuation determination will only affect the policy that is taken into account.  There may be other superannuation funds that a party enters into in subsequent years and therefore provides for these superannuation entitlements may not have been envisaged at the time that the agreement was entered into.  The agreement could take effect many years later.  Where a superannuation fund has not been specifically referred to the entitlements of a party to that fund upon death will be given to the nominated beneficiaries in the fund itself.  To ensure that a party obtains an interest in a person’s superannuation entitlements upon death then the party must be aware of the beneficiaries in his actual superannuation fund.  For the benefits in a superannuation fund to be paid to the other party upon separation,  the provisions must be specifically set out in the financial agreement and the trustee of the fund must be given procedural fairness to approve the provisions set out in the agreement.
4. The parties in a financial agreement can limit the agreement if it is their wish to do so to name only certain assets to be dealt with upon separation. For instance, if there is a family farm and the family requires that it remain in the family and not be given to another party then provisions can be set out in the financial agreement to ensure that occurs.  As well if there is to be a partial transfer of an interest in an asset upon a separation then again the provisions can be drafted to ensure that partial separation does occur.  A financial agreement may cover the assets of the parties or can be limited to certain assets if the parties so wish.  This means that the assets falling outside of the agreement will be dealt with under the general provisions of the Family Law Act and in relation to the law applicable at the time of the separation.
5. The financial agreement may include third parties and the third parties can be bound by the terms of the agreement. The Family Court does not have the power to make orders against third parties and therefore a financial agreement has a greater advantage over court orders in this regard.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF ENTERING INTO BINDING FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS

Disadvantages of entering into a financial agreement:

1. The parties to a financial agreement clearly define what will happen to their assets and liabilities if a separation should occur in their relationship. This separation may occur many many years after the financial agreement is entered into.  The terms of the financial agreement only come into effect once that separation occurs.  There could be substantial changes in the person’s financial positions during the years after the agreement is entered into.  Although the agreement may be fair and equitable at the time the agreement was entered into it may not be fair and equitable many years later when the terms of the agreement come into effect.  This would mean that a party may suffer severe financial hardship because the terms of the agreement are not relevant at the time the separation occurs.  There could be substantial changes in the assets and liabilities of the parties or a party could make substantial contributions towards the acquisition and improvement of assets but would gain no financial interest in the assets although the value of the assets has subsequently increased.  A party could make substantial contributions towards the acquisition and improvement of the assets but gain no interest in the increased value of such assets at a later date.
2. The parties are required to obtain specific and detailed legal advice prior to and at the time of entering into a financial agreement. How can one party ensure that the other party obtains proper legal advice?  Even though one party does obtain the required legal advice the other party may not obtain legal advice that is sufficient and therefore the agreement can be set aside.  It is difficult to ensure that the other party does obtain the required legal advice.
3. As stated earlier, agreements are not required to be filed or lodged with any court. If the parties lose their agreements and if the solicitors’ copies cannot be obtained then the parties will not be able to enforce the provisions of that agreement.
4. There is a large cost in ensuring that the parties have been given the proper legal advice and in ensuring that the document has been properly drawn. Consent Orders at the time of separation are more binding than financial agreements because they are more certain.  There is always the uncertainty of entering into a financial agreement or having that agreement overturned at some later date.
5. A party must ensure that children born after the agreement has been signed are taken into consideration. Under the terms of the Family Law legislation, a party who has the care of children could gain substantial interests in the net matrimonial assets.  However, if parties enter into an agreement and do not cater for children being born at some subsequent time then they may be financially disadvantaged after separation in their relationship.
6. Full disclosure is required by both parties of their assets and liabilities. If at a subsequent time after the signing of the agreement or upon a separation a party becomes aware of other assets owned by the other party and not disclosed in the agreement then the agreement may be set aside.

BINDING FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS MAY BE SET ASIDE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE FAMILY LAW ACT

The Family Law Act 1975 provides that a financial agreement will “end” in two circumstances.  It can be either “terminated” under s90J or 90UL or “set aside” under s90K or 90UM.  Termination is an action of the parties but setting aside is an action of the court.  A court may set aside an agreement if it is “void, voidable or unenforceable”.  If this ground is used, the parties or one of them may already consider that the agreement no longer operates.  A party may apply to the court for an order that a financial agreement is set aside in circumstances where that party already believes that the contract has been rescinded, breached or is otherwise unenforceable.

1. Sections 90J and 90UL of the Act specifically provides that parties to a financial agreement may only terminate it by:
   1. Including a provision to that effect in another financial agreement, or
   2. Making a written agreement known as a ‘termination agreement’.
2. Financial and termination agreements can be set aside under s90Kor 90UM:-

Article Source:  binding financial agreement