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." 
 
 
No comments:
Post a Comment