Pop singer, reality star and businesswoman Jessica Simpson brought her marriage to ex Nick Lachey back into the spotlight during a recent interview with Kelly Evans of “Closing Bell.” During the interview, Simpson was asked what her biggest money mistake has been and answered, “For some reason, I thought of my first marriage.”
While many may have interpreted the comment as a dig at her ex who got a quite a bit in the divorce settlement, many have also pointed to her confession as further evidence of how important getting a prenuptial agreement is. In Simpson’s case, Lachey was the bigger star when they married, but Simpson rose to fame very quickly not for her singing career but for her role in the couple’s reality show “Newlyweds.”
The show appeared on MTV for several seasons until the couple announced their divorce in 2005. Because the couple didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement, all of the money that had come in during the course of their marriage, including the profits related to Simpson’s business ventures, were considered marital property. At the time of the divorce, Simpson was reported to be worth around $35 million but Lachey only $5 million.
This example shows how important it is to remember that your financial situation as a couple may look very different five, 10 or even 20 years later than it does now. A prenuptial agreement can help couples plan what they will do with their martial income and assets if the relationship dissolves later on and can help protect both parties’ financial interests.
Source: The Washington Post, “Why did Jessica Simpson say her marriage to Nick Lachey was her ‘biggest money mistake’?,” Emily Yahr, Sep. 10, 2015
