My husband is a very hardworking man. Over the years, he has managed to build his own business and acquire several beautiful properties. I married him for love, but I feel very hurt because we signed a prenuptial agreement in which I renounced all my rights as a wife.
He has a five-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Not long ago we talked about this matter, and he made it clear to me that everything he owns belongs to his daughter. I understand that this is the right thing to do, but I worry about getting old and having nothing of my own….
I am currently a housewife, and I also help him part time in his business.
Dear Friend,
Your husband obviously had an attorney draw up the prenuptial agreement, but it sounds like you didn’t have your own legal representation. If so, there was no one to advise you of the consequences of signing that document.
The best advice we can give you is to make any sacrifice necessary in order to hire your own attorney. You need legal advice that is specific to your own country. Since you have contacted us anonymously, we don’t know what country you live in, and even if we knew, that doesn’t mean that we would know its laws.
However, we do agree with your husband’s desire to provide for his daughter. In fact, we wish all fathers would accept their responsibility to provide for their children, both emotionally and financially. Instead, as you probably know, the trend is for men to abandon their children at the same time, or not long after, they split up with the children’s mother. Your husband has shown himself to be an honorable man in this regard.
We can understand your concern about being left with nothing for your latter years. Are you being paid by your husband’s business for the work that you do there? Since the business does not belong to you, it is only fair for you to be paid separately for those work hours. If that were the case, you could put funds aside for your future. This is something else to discuss with an attorney.
There is no situation like yours in the Bible, but there are Biblical principles that can guide us in almost every situation. The Apostle Paul taught that men should provide financially for their families,(1) but you apparently chose to sign away the right to that provision. Legally giving up rights is also mentioned in the Bible,(2) and it is an acceptable practice.
In addition to getting paid for work outside the home and to consulting an attorney, we highly recommend that you ask God to guide you and to give you wisdom in preparing for your future. You can trust Him to lead you if you are willing to follow.
We wish you well,
Linda
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1 1 Ti 5:8
2 Ge 25:31-33