A fundamental shift is occurring in how millennials approach marriage. Nearly half of millennial couples now sign prenups before walking down the aisle.
TROY, MI, UNITED STATES, January 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Prenup Revolution: Why Half of Millennial Couples Are Signing Prenuptial Agreements
A significant shift is happening in how millennials approach marriage. Forty-seven percent of millennial couples now sign prenuptial agreements before their weddings—compared to just 3 percent of their parents’ generation (Harris Poll, 2023). It’s one of the most striking changes in American family law we’ve seen in decades.
This isn’t because young people believe less in marriage. If anything, it’s the opposite. Millennials are being smarter about one of life’s biggest decisions.
“I’ve definitely noticed a real uptick in millennial couples calling about prenups,” says Madana Hermiz, a divorce attorney in Troy, Michigan. “Five years ago, maybe one in twenty clients asked about them. Today? Closer to one in five.”
Money is at Stake
Student debt is the biggest culprit. The average millennial carries $37,853 in student loans (Education Data Initiative, 2024). Throw in credit cards, car payments, and medical bills, and one spouse’s financial mess can drag the other down if the marriage falls apart. A prenup keeps those debts separate.
But that’s just part of it. Millennials are getting married much later than their parents did. Women now marry around 27; men around 29 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). That’s six extra years to build careers, buy homes, launch businesses, and sock away retirement savings. By the time millennials get engaged, they actually have assets worth protecting.
There’s also the family wealth angle. Baby Boomers are sitting on roughly $80 trillion that will eventually go to their kids (Cerulli Report, 2024). Many millennial parents are specifically asking their children to get prenups to keep family money, trusts, and businesses intact.
Times are Changing
Public opinion has shifted fast. In 2022, only 42 percent of Americans supported prenups. A year later? Fifty percent (Harris Poll, 2023). That’s real momentum.
Here’s what’s surprising: women are now starting about 52 percent of prenup conversations (HelloPrenup, 2024). This breaks the old stereotype. Modern women have their own businesses, inheritances, and earning power to protect. The idea that prenups are just for rich guys protecting their money from gold diggers? That’s outdated.
What Lawyers are Seeing
Sixty-two percent of divorce attorneys report more prenup requests than they used to, and over half specifically mention millennials as the reason (American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2016). Here’s the thing: these aren’t just wealthy people anymore. The average person using online prenup services has a net worth of around $78,000 (HelloPrenup, 2024). That’s middle class.
When couples actually sit down to hash out a prenup, they end up discussing real stuff: What are our financial goals? How do we handle money differently? What happens to property if things fall apart? Couples who have these conversations tend to communicate better, fight less about money, and build stronger partnerships.
It’s More Affordable Now
Online platforms have made prenups accessible. Instead of paying $2,500 to $5,000 for a lawyer, you can get one done for $599 (HelloPrenup, 2024). That’s changed who can actually afford to do this.
The Real Story
This isn’t cynicism. It’s realism. Millennials grew up watching their parents divorce. They’re buried in debt. They’re buying homes later, if at all. They want to protect what they’ve worked for.
A prenup isn’t betting that your marriage will fail. It’s just being smart about it. Two people saying: “I love you, and I also want us to think this through.”
That’s not pessimistic. That’s just practical.
Madana Hermiz
Hermiz Law
+1 (248) 825-8042
email us here
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