A prenuptial agreement is a contract signed before marriage that decides how property, debt, and finances would be handled if the marriage ends. Tennessee enforces a prenup when it's entered knowingly and voluntarily, with full financial disclosure and no coercion. How it's prepared — disclosure, timing, and the chance for independent review — is what makes it hold up later.
What a Tennessee prenup can cover
A prenuptial agreement can address how property and debt are classified (separate vs. marital), what happens to assets each spouse brings into the marriage, business interests, and whether either spouse could receive alimony. It cannot decide child custody or child support — those are always set by the child's best interests at the time.
Making a prenup enforceable in Tennessee
Tennessee courts uphold prenuptial agreements entered into knowingly and voluntarily, with a full and fair disclosure of each person's finances. Signing well before the wedding rather than the night before, giving each person the chance to have their own attorney review it, and avoiding any pressure all help the agreement stand up if it's ever challenged.
Common questions
Do both people need their own lawyer for a prenup?
It isn't strictly required, but it helps. When each spouse has had the chance to review the agreement with independent counsel, it's much harder to later claim it was signed under pressure or without understanding it.
Can a prenup decide child custody or support?
No. A prenuptial agreement can address property, debt, and alimony, but custody and child support are always decided on the child's best interests at the time — they can't be locked in ahead of time.
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This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship.