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By Alex Diaz · How we calculate this
For a prenup to hold up in court, each partner generally needs their own independent attorney, so couples typically end up budgeting $3,000 to $6,000 combined rather than treating it as a single flat fee. It's a one-time legal cost, so the calculator compares the total attorney fees you enter against roughly three months of your budget instead of a single month's income.
These key factors affect prenup affordability
Attorney fees for both parties
An enforceable prenup requires each partner to have independent counsel, and that alone typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 or more per side depending on region and firm, which is why couples often land closer to $3,000 to $6,000 combined rather than a single flat fee. Courts also expect full, honest financial disclosure from both sides going in. Several states, California among them, go further and require a mandatory waiting period, often around seven days, between when the agreement is presented and when it's signed if one partner isn't represented by an attorney, specifically to head off later claims that someone was pressured into signing.
Complexity of the assets involved
Protecting a bank account or a single piece of property is straightforward to draft. A business, an inheritance already received, or one that's anticipated down the road is a different job entirely, since it calls for valuation, disclosure schedules, and simply more attorney hours to get the language right.
How early you start and how much you negotiate
Drafting a prenup under wedding-date pressure, or bouncing revisions back and forth between two attorneys, runs up billable hours fast. Starting the conversation several months out, and settling early on what each of you actually wants protected, keeps costs closer to a predictable flat fee instead of an open-ended hourly bill.
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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