Because a prenup is a one-time legal cost, your estimate weighs the attorney fees you enter against roughly three months of your budget rather than a single month's income, since that's closer to how a cost like this actually gets absorbed.
These key factors affect prenup affordability
Attorney fees for both parties
An enforceable prenup generally requires each partner to have their own attorney review or draft the agreement, and that independent representation alone typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 or more per side depending on region and firm. That's why couples often end up budgeting closer to $3,000 to $6,000 combined rather than treating this as a single flat fee.
Complexity of the assets involved
A simple agreement protecting a bank account or a piece of property is far cheaper to draft than one covering a business, inherited assets, or an anticipated inheritance. Those situations require valuation, disclosure schedules, and more attorney hours to get right.
How early you start and how much you negotiate
Drafting a prenup close to the wedding date under time pressure, or going back and forth over multiple rounds of revisions between two attorneys, adds billable hours fast. Starting the conversation several months out keeps costs closer to a predictable, flat-fee package.
How to use your results
- A low or green risk result means the legal fees fit comfortably alongside your other pre-wedding costs.
- A yellow or red result suggests scaling back to a flat-fee or template-based agreement, or having a more detailed conversation with your partner about splitting the cost.
- Remember this figure typically covers legal fees only, not the cost of updating a will or retitling assets that often follows a prenup.
Ways to make a prenup more affordable
- Ask attorneys for flat-fee prenup packages instead of hourly billing, which is common for straightforward agreements.
- Start the process several months before the wedding to avoid rush fees from attorneys working around a tight deadline.
- Use a template or online service for the first draft and pay an attorney only to review and finalize it.
- Split the cost of both parties' attorneys evenly rather than one partner covering the whole bill.
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