By all measures, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nester's journey to Bachelorette has been a fairytale. Their quick and passionate romance, which began with love at first sight (they had their first one-on-one date of the season!), will now be celebrated with a televised wedding on January 4, followed by a wedding. Went to Italy for our honeymoon.
But even the sweetest love stories can get their share of criticism from Bachelor Nation. Many viewers took to social media to encourage the couple to sign a prenuptial agreement. They specifically called out Theresa for taking the step, with some fans citing a report from The Hollywood Reporter that made allegations about Gerry's past dating life and work history. This raises the question: Should Gerry and Teresa have a prenuptial agreement?
Short answer? Yes! But it wasn't because of reports or what fans considered a "red flag."
Julia Rodgers is a family law attorney and CEO of HelloPrenup, an online platform that helps couples understand and create a prenuptial agreement. Rogers recommends that every couple have a prenuptial agreement, but she tells Bustle that it's an especially important consideration for second marriages because, like in Gerry and Theresa's case, children, grandchildren, and various Assets are often involved.
Rogers says having a prenuptial agreement can help "preserve family comfort and relationships." "Teresa's children will want to know that her assets are protected. Gerry's children will want to know that his assets are protected." For example, this might mean keeping premarital assets separate, which 75% of HelloPrenup users choose to do .
Rogers said signing a prenuptial agreement also requires financial disclosures. Knowing what's in your bank account and the value of your assets is key to determining the kind of lifestyle you'll have during your marriage. This can help a couple create a "road map" for future expenses—even if they never divorce.
"People say money and love shouldn't mix - but it's true," she said. " Because what's in your bank account is going to determine how you live your life. When you're younger and have [more] earning power, it has less of an impact. But when you get married at an older age, you're already retired. So. , the content in these accounts will affect your lifestyle.”
Below, Rogers breaks down what a potential prenuptial agreement could mean for the first golden couple.
Gerry is from Indiana and Theresa is from New Jersey, and they are reportedly getting married in California before moving to South Carolina. So a lot of geographical events happened! Does it matter where you sign your prenuptial agreement?
Yes, it does matter. Standard practice is that you should select the prenuptial agreement state where you plan to live - so they should probably contract under South Carolina law. If they end up divorcing and a prenuptial agreement must be executed, South Carolina will apply that state's divorce laws to the prenuptial agreement. That being said, couples can technically enter into a contract in any state they want. But if they did, it would leave some ambiguity.
Have you ever noticed that certain age groups are more or less willing to sign a prenuptial agreement?
Prenuptial agreements are very common among Millennials and Gen Z. First of all, they're [usually] children of divorce, right? They usually marry later in life. When you get married later in life, you may need to protect some assets. Maybe you've started a business; your salary has increased; you have some school debt; you bought a house, so you're going to lose a lot of equity.
I think the same goes for second marriages. In most cases, second marriages result from divorce. So, there is this underlying respect and mutual understanding, and the prenuptial agreement is really there to protect both of them.
For people like Gerry and Teresa who have both lost a spouse, does this impact how they approach their prenuptial agreement?
It may change what is in the prenuptial agreement. You can include something called a death clause in your prenuptial agreement, [which] can specify that assets are to be distributed in a certain way. They married later in life—they were probably thinking about estate planning. Therefore, I think a prenuptial agreement for this age group can be combined with estate planning documents in a way that feels very comprehensive and comfortable.
You mentioned this before, but a prenuptial agreement isn't just helpful in a divorce, right? It can only help you deal with financial issues in your marriage.
that's right. A prenuptial agreement allows you to have the conversations you should be having [no matter what], which means you're likely to have a longer, happier marriage. You lead with transparency. So when you marry someone who owns a lot of real estate and then they sell it, you're like, "Well, where's the money? Aren't you going to buy us a house with this?" No, you want to know that Whether it is separate money. This is what you would do if you were buying a house together.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
