Prenuptial Agreements & Estate Planning

A prenuptial agreement can include provisions addressing what each spouse may receive if the other passes away, working alongside a will or trust rather than in conflict with it. This coordination is especially important for couples entering a second marriage with children from prior relationships: a prenuptial agreement can protect those children’s inheritance rights in ways that a will alone may not, since Missouri law grants a surviving spouse certain statutory inheritance rights that can override a deceased spouse’s intended estate plan.

Provisions addressing rights upon death are distinct from divorce provisions and should be drafted in coordination with your estate planning documents to avoid conflicts between the two.