Sunday, November 18, 2012

Is pre-nuptial valid if not all the assets are disclosed?

In the case of Foster v. Estate of Edward Gomes, 27 So.3d 145 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010), the court stated that if the major assets were disclosed, but minor ones were not, the pre-nup is valid.  Prior to the marriage, the parties entered into an antenuptial agreement in which the Wife waived all her right to the Husband's property, including her right to an elective share. Following the Husband's death in 2006, his will was admitted into probate and all the property not devised to his wife was left to his lineal descendants. The Wife filed a notice of her election to take her elective share pursuant to section 732.702(1), Florida Statute (2006.  The trial court found that the Agreement was valid and enforceable, that the Wife had waived her right to an elective share of the estate and that the Husband's failure to disclose a minor asset did not affect the enforceability of the agreement. The District Court held that Florida law does not require prior disclosure of assets for an antenuptial agreement under the probate rules:

          1. "Florida law does not require prior disclosure of assets for an antenuptial agreement. § 732.702(2). Recognizing this, Appellant argues that a disclosure, once made, albeit voluntarily, if inaccurate or fraudulent, invalidates the antenuptial agreement, citing [the dissenting opinion in an earlier Supreme Court decision]."

2. "Unfortunately for Appellant, that dissenting opinion has not generated a consensus either within the Florida Legislature or Florida Courts. We prefer, instead, to rely upon the binding majority opinion."
3. "[T]he law continues to accommodate the desires of older Florida residents to marry again without risking an unwanted disposition of a lifetime's assets due to a partial disclosure."

 

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