Postnuptial Agreements
- Prenuptial Agreement Lawyer in New York
- Prenuptial Agreement Drafting
- Prenup Review for the Second Party
- Business Owner Prenuptial Agreements
- Included: a full postnup covering separate vs. marital property, spousal support, business interests, and inheritance rights, drafted for New York enforceability.
- Timeline: most postnuptial agreements are drafted and finalized in two to five weeks, since there is no wedding date racing the clock.
- Cost: a straightforward New York postnup typically runs a market-range flat fee; complex estates with businesses or real estate sit higher — exact fee confirmed at a free on-site consultation.
- What we take: your names, marriage date, and a plain list of assets, debts, and income for both spouses.
- Booking: call or email to schedule a private consultation; we meet at your Manhattan home, office, or our office across New York County.
A postnuptial agreement fits couples whose situation changed after the ceremony. Common triggers in New York are one spouse launching a business, a large inheritance landing, a family gift or loan, buying a co-op on the Upper East Side or a condo in Battery Park City, or simply deciding to put on paper what you never formalized before the wedding. If you meant to sign a prenup and ran out of runway before the date at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau on Worth Street, a postnup accomplishes nearly the same protection after the fact.
The decision between a postnup and doing nothing usually comes down to clarity. Without an agreement, New York's equitable-distribution rules decide everything later, in front of a judge at the New York County Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street — a slow, public, and expensive place to sort out who owns the Tribeca loft. A postnup lets both spouses agree the terms now, calmly, while you still trust each other. The trade-off is candor: New York courts scrutinize postnups more closely than prenups because spouses already owe each other fiduciary duties, so full financial disclosure and independent counsel for each person are not optional if you want the document to hold.
We draft postnups the same way we draft prenups — both-parties-fair, plainly written, and built to survive challenge. A one-sided agreement that leaves one spouse with nothing is exactly what a judge throws out, so a fair split is also the enforceable split. We handle these discreetly for professionals and business owners from Greenwich Village and Chelsea to Murray Hill, the Financial District, SoHo, Harlem, and the Upper West Side, and we walk your spouse's separate attorney through the terms so the signing is a formality, not a confrontation.
Bringing up a postnup does not mean the marriage is in trouble. Most couples who sign one are protecting a growing business, honoring a parent's or advisor's request tied to family money, or removing a quiet source of financial anxiety. Getting it in writing tends to lower the temperature, not raise it — the point is to protect what matters and preserve who matters.
CallPostnuptial Agreements pricing in New York
| Straightforward postnup — modest, clearly separate assets | $2,500-$4,500 |
| Standard postnup — property, support, and inheritance terms | $4,000-$7,500 |
| Complex postnup — business interests, NYC real estate, high net worth | $8,000-$15,000+ |
| Review of a postnup drafted by your spouse's attorney | $1,500-$3,500 |
Exact price confirmed free on-site before any work.
Postnuptial Agreements — questions, answered
Is a postnuptial agreement enforceable in New York?
Yes — a postnuptial agreement is enforceable in New York when it is in writing, signed by both spouses, and acknowledged before a notary under Domestic Relations Law §236(B)(3). New York courts review postnups closely, so full financial disclosure and independent counsel for each spouse are strongly recommended to keep it from being challenged later.
What is the difference between a prenup and a postnup in New York?
In New York the only real difference is timing: a prenup is signed before the wedding, a postnup after you are already married. Both use the same protective terms for property, support, and inheritance, but New York holds postnups to a stricter fairness and disclosure standard because married spouses already owe each other a fiduciary duty.
Can we get a postnuptial agreement in New York if we skipped a prenup?
Yes. Many married couples in New York sign a postnup precisely because they ran out of time for a prenup before the wedding. A postnuptial agreement lets you put the same protections in place now, without the pressure of a looming date at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.
How long does a postnuptial agreement take in New York?
Most postnuptial agreements in New York are completed in two to five weeks. Because there is no wedding deadline, we can move at a comfortable pace that still gives both spouses and their separate attorneys time to review before signing.
What can a postnuptial agreement protect in New York?
A New York postnuptial agreement can define separate versus marital property, protect a business or professional practice, address spousal support, and safeguard inheritances and family gifts. It cannot decide child custody or set child support below the state's guidelines, since New York courts keep those decisions tied to the child's best interests.