A prenuptial agreement is not a prediction of divorce — it is a plan two adults make together about how their financial life will work if the marriage does not. Christine Marshall drafts and negotiates Illinois prenups and postnups that read plainly, hold up in court, and do not poison the engagement.
The Law Office of Christine Marshall drafts, negotiates, and reviews Illinois prenuptial and postnuptial agreements under the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act. Every agreement is built around the specific facts of the couple — premarital assets, family businesses, professional practices, inheritances, blended-family estate plans, and each party's expectations for the marriage.
A prenup that fails at divorce is worse than no prenup at all. Illinois courts scrutinize enforceability closely: voluntariness, disclosure, independent counsel, and timing all matter. Christine's drafts are built to survive that scrutiny two or twenty years later.
Christine represents one party in the negotiation and insists the other party have independent counsel. That is not an inconvenience — it is the single strongest predictor of enforceability.
Without a prenup, appreciation of a premarital business during the marriage can become marital property. A well-drafted agreement locks in the business's non-marital status and defines how future growth is treated.
Blended families need clear rules for how each spouse's estate flows to their respective children — while still providing for the surviving spouse. Prenups and coordinated estate planning are the tools.
One spouse enters with real assets; the other does not. A fair, disclosed prenup can protect the premarital estate while providing meaningful support terms if the marriage ends.
Illinois treats inherited property as non-marital, but comingling can compromise that. A prenup makes the intent explicit and reduces the risk of an ambiguous record.
Couples supporting one spouse through medical school, law school, or professional training often want clarity on how that investment is recognized at divorce. Prenups can address it.
Sometimes the conversation happens after the wedding — after a business is sold, an inheritance received, or a career pivot made. Illinois postnups are enforceable when drafted with the same care.
A short call is often enough to clarify your options, timing, and what a fair resolution looks like.
Four decades of family law practice, distilled into a process built for the pace of real families in Kane County.
Christine's first meeting focuses on the couple's actual goals — not a template. What does each party want protected, and what does each want provided?
Each party discloses assets, liabilities, and income in writing. Complete disclosure is one of the strongest defenses against a future enforceability challenge.
The document is written to be understood — not to intimidate the fiancé into signing. Christine has seen too many agreements fail because one party did not understand what they signed.
The other party's counsel reviews and negotiates. Both parties sign with enough time before the wedding that a challenge based on duress will not succeed.
Christine drafts prenuptial and postnuptial agreements for couples throughout St. Charles and the surrounding Fox River Valley — Geneva, Batavia, South Elgin, Wayne, Campton Hills and Elburn. Agreements are governed by Illinois law and, when challenged, are typically litigated in the 16th Judicial Circuit at the Kane County Judicial Center.
Yes. Illinois adopted the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act. A prenup is enforceable if it is in writing, signed voluntarily by both parties, and made with fair and reasonable disclosure of assets and liabilities (or a valid written waiver of disclosure). Courts do not enforce prenups that are unconscionable when signed.
Property division at divorce or death, treatment of premarital and inherited assets, protection of business interests, maintenance (spousal support) waivers or terms, treatment of retirement accounts, and any other matter not against Illinois public policy. Prenups cannot restrict child support or dictate custody.
As far in advance of the wedding as possible — 30 to 90 days minimum is prudent. Agreements signed the week of the wedding are vulnerable to challenges based on duress or lack of voluntariness. Christine will not draft a rushed prenup that will not hold up.
Both parties should have independent counsel. Christine represents one party; the other should have a lawyer of their own choosing to review the draft. Independent representation is one of the strongest defenses against a later challenge to enforceability.
The same contract, signed after the wedding rather than before. Illinois allows them; they are analyzed under general contract law rather than the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, and require careful drafting to remain enforceable.
Sometimes. Prenups also govern how future assets — an inheritance you have not yet received, a business you may later build, retirement contributions from your career — are treated at divorce. If either party has a strong reason to plan for future acquisitions, a prenup is worth discussing.
Yes — and this is one of the most common reasons Christine drafts them. A well-drafted prenup keeps a business interest as non-marital property and protects future appreciation from a marital-property claim at divorce.
Straightforward Illinois prenups are often quoted at a flat fee after the free consultation. More complex agreements involving business valuations, trusts, or blended-family estate planning are billed hourly. Call (815) 666-4873 for a candid estimate.
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