Marriage and Cohabitation Contracts

Hollywood films and movie stars sometimes mention ‘pre-nups’ or ‘marriage contracts’.

What are these mysterious documents? One description is that a marriage or cohabitation agreement is a written record of the expectations of a married or cohabitating couple in relation to lifestyle and finances which is entered into before and sometimes during marital cohabitation.

In limited circumstances, certain parts of such agreements are legally enforceable. In some countries and cultures, including South Africa and Quebec, marriage contracts are common amongst the wealthy.