What’s more Nebraskan than college football and the great outdoors? A Nebraskan prenuptial agreement attorney, of course! Okay, we made that up, but it should be! Because hiring a prenuptial agreement attorney for your prenup is never a bad idea.
Hiring a prenuptial agreement attorney for your prenup in Nebraska can be a helpful tool in protecting your assets in the event of a divorce and sometimes death. Having an ironclad prenup when entering into a marriage is the best way to protect yourself financially. But, where do you start? How do you find a good prenuptial agreement attorney in Nebraska? Look no further, we’ve got your answers.
How to Find a Prenuptial Agreement Attorney in Nebraska
Where do you begin when you know you want to hire a prenup lawyer in Nebraska? Keep reading because we’ve put together a list of seven steps to follow to find your perfect legal match.
Step 1: Ask around
The easiest and most reliable way to find a quality prenuptial agreement attorney in Nebraska is to simply ask around. Ask your coworkers, friends, and family if they’ve ever worked with a family law attorney who does prenups. Remember, not all family law attorneys do prenups. That means that if your brother’s friend’s mom got a divorce with Attorney Smith, make sure Attorney Smith actually does prenups and not just divorce. You can do so by checking the services on their website.
Step 2: Try good ol’ Google
It’s the age of the internet, people, you should know this one! Google is a surefire way to find some lawyers in your area. Try searching “Nebraska prenuptial agreement attorney” or “prenup attorney near me” or “Nebraska family law lawyer.” You can mix and match with various keywords. Once you see the list of potential attorneys should pop up, skip to step 5.
Step 3: Try other reliable websites
You can also try other websites, like Avvo, to find lawyers. You can generally filter by area of law, location, and other factors. This can really help you narrow down what type of lawyer you are looking for. Don’t forget to check their website to ensure that they actually do prenups.
Step 4: Check the Nebraska Bar Association website
Another reliable way to find a lawyer is to check out the Nebraska Bar Association’s find-a-lawyer page. You can search for Nebraska-licensed lawyers who do family law in your area. You can even filter by lawyers who offer free consultations and virtual visits!
Step 5: Check customer reviews
Reading through customer reviews of a lawyer is a great way to get a feel for the lawyer’s work quality. Are they timely? Do their clients like them? Are they willing to go above and beyond? You may also want to take into consideration their star rating: are they a 5 out of 5 or do they have 1 star? You may want to steer clear of someone with a ton of 1-star reviews.
Step 6: Make sure they do prenups
Don’t forget to check their website and make sure they actually do prenups. Some family law attorneys do divorce and custody and other family law matters but may not do prenups. Prenuptial agreement law is a complex and detailed area of law that you definitely want to hire an expert in.
Step 7: Do a trial run
Do a “trial run” with your shortlisted attorneys. By this, we mean simply setting up a 15-minute call to meet the attorney. Most attorneys will do this free of charge. Maybe ask some basic, preliminary questions like timeline, cost, and logistics. See if you like the lawyer’s energy and if you’d feel comfortable divulging sensitive information to this person.
Average Pricing for a Prenuptial Agreement Attorney in Nebraska
Ahh, the dreaded conversation about cost. Let’s face it: lawyers aren’t cheap. They spend hundreds of thousands on law school loans and thousands of hours studying, can you blame them? Lawyers offer a unique service to you: expert knowledge of prenuptial agreements, how to craft them, and how to make them stand in court. Be warned though: just because you hire an attorney doesn’t mean your prenup is bulletproof. Yes, a prenup can still be challenged in court even if you have a lawyer.
Now, before we give you our estimate of the average cost of a prenuptial agreement attorney in Nebraska, there are some important things to point out. Prenuptial agreement lawyers tend to work hourly. Sure, some will offer a flat rate, but many do not. The average hourly rate of a Nebraska attorney in 2022 was $219 per hour. How much an attorney charges per hour will vary by skill, experience, and personal preference. For example, a fresh law school graduate may not charge as much as a veteran lawyer.
The other thing to keep in mind is how long it will take to make your prenup. If you have complex finances intricate requests or lengthy negotiations, your prenup may take longer.
So, what’s it gonna cost? Well, if the average Nebraskan attorney charges $219 per hour and the prenup in question is not too complicated, it may take around 10 hours to complete. That might include a 1 hour consultation, 6 hours of drafting, 2 hours of negotiations, and 1 hour of review/finalization. That puts the average cost of a Nebraska prenup at $2,190.
Why Do People Hire Prenuptial Agreement Attorneys in Nebraska
If you’re on the fence about hiring a prenuptial agreement attorney for your prenup in Nebraska, you may be wondering why people hire attorneys. Here are some of the reasons people choose to hire lawyers for their prenup.
Lawyers are knowledgeable
Let’s be honest, most people out there don’t know the first thing about prenups, let alone drafting their own prenup. A lawyer goes to law school and practices the law. They are the experts in prenups. They can tell you what to expect, what typically works and what doesn’t, what other people do, and create for you a prenup that is likely to stand up in court. Not to mention, states vary on how they treat prenups. What flies in Nebraska may not fly in Illinois, so getting a knowledgeable Nebraska-licensed attorney is important.
Peace of mind
There’s nothing quite like peace of mind, am I right? Hiring a lawyer can give you the mental tranquility of a monk when entering your marriage. You get the reassurance that your finances will likely be protected and all of your boundaries and expectations with your future spouse are laid out. What’s better than that?
Lawyers can customize your prenup
What’s stopping you from downloading a prenup template or using ChatGPT to make you one? Well, for one, it’s not customized. Working with a lawyer can customize your prenup to meet your and your partner’s exact needs, whereas a template from the internet or AI is not going to be tailored to you.
You can ask questions
Prenups aren’t straightforward legally, and it’s pretty likely that you’ll have some questions. For example, what does a death clause do? How do I make sure my kids are protected? Can I add in an infidelity (no-cheating) clause? These are the kinds of questions lawyers can answer for you. Beware, you can be charged more if you have a lot of questions (i.e., taking up the lawyer’s time).
The Downsides of Hiring a Prenuptial Agreement Attorney in Nebraska
You read above why people hire prenup lawyers, now let’s dive into some downsides of hiring one.
Price
Let’s face it, cost is probably the number one downside to hiring an attorney. If they were free, who wouldn’t hire an attorney? The cost of legal fees for a prenup can climb up to $10,000 or more if you have intricate needs or have hired a pricey lawyer.
Privacy
It’s a cultural norm to feel uncomfortable talking about money, especially with complete strangers. When you hire an attorney, guess what? You have to tell them how much money you make, what assets you own, your debt, and everything in between. Not only that but also some personal details about your love life. What are your marital goals? What are your boundaries? This can lead to conflict with your spouse and you may need to discuss these difficult topics in front of your lawyer.
It’s not a guarantee
After all that, hiring a lawyer doesn’t even guarantee you to have a prenup that holds up in court. Is it more probable that it will hold up when you hire a lawyer versus not hiring a lawyer? Yes. But is it a 100% chance? No. In other words, your prenup is not bulletproof when you hire a lawyer, it can still be challenged in court.
Final Thoughts
We get it, the thought of hiring a lawyer before any conflict has even arisen can seem daunting. Where do you even start? Well, you can start by asking those in your circle, searching the internet, checking client reviews, and doing a trial run with your potential lawyer options. Hiring a lawyer can allow you to have peace of mind, get a customized prenup, and have the ability to ask all of your burning questions about prenups and divorce.
Nicole Sheehey is the Head of Legal Content at HelloPrenup, and an Illinois licensed attorney. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to prenuptial agreements. Nicole has Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School. She has a deep understanding of the legal and financial implications of prenuptial agreements, and enjoys writing and collaborating with other attorneys on the nuances of the law. Nicole is passionate about helping couples locate the information they need when it comes to prenuptial agreements. You can reach Nicole here: [email protected]
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