Topic guide · 25 articles
Getting a prenup: cost, lawyers and your options
What a prenup costs, who pays, whether you need one lawyer or two, and how DIY, online and attorney routes compare. Start with the question you have.
01
How much does a prenup cost?
The price depends mostly on the route you choose and how many attorneys are involved. Start with the full breakdown, then who usually pays and how timing changes the number.
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How Much Does a Prenup Cost? A Complete 2026 Price Breakdown
Traditional attorney-drafted prenups typically run $3,000 to $10,000+ per couple, according to the 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report and Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. First® is a flat-fee online platform that starts at $649 with online notarization included.
- Who Pays for a Prenup? No law dictates who pays for a prenup; couples decide together, and in practice each partner typically covers their own attorney's fees. Read article →
- What if my Partner Can't Afford a Prenup? Traditional two-attorney prenups cost $3,000 to $10,000 or more per couple. First makes prenups affordable when budgets are tight. Read article →
- Prenup vs. Postnup Cost: What Each One Really Costs and Why Timing Changes the Price Traditional attorney-drafted agreements run $3,000 to $10,000 or more per couple, while flat-fee online prenup platforms start around $649, according to the 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report and Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. Read article →
- How Much Does a Prenup Cost in New York? A Method-by-Method Breakdown Traditional two-attorney prenups in New York commonly run $5,000 to $10,000 or more per couple, and in high-cost metros where family-law rates reach $1,000 an hour, they run past that. Read article →
See exactly what your prenup costs
Flat fees for the couple, online notarization included.
02
How do you get a prenup, and how long does it take?
The process runs from agreeing on goals and exchanging disclosure to signing before the wedding, and the timeline is what catches most couples out. These guides walk through each step and how early to start.
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How to Get a Prenup: Step by Step (2026)
Six steps to get a prenup in 2026: agree on goals, disclose finances, pick a route, get independent review, draft, then sign and notarize before the wedding.
- How long does it take to get a prenup? If your wedding is 90, 30, 14, or even 7 days away, a legally sound prenup is still within reach, but only if you move now and understand exactly what each window allows. Read article →
- Where to Get a Prenup: Comparing Your Options in 2026 Where to get a prenup: two attorneys, a guided online platform, or a free template. Here's what each costs, how long it takes, and how well it holds up. Read article →
- Easy and Same-Day Prenups: What They Cost and How Fast You Can Really Sign Guided online prenup platforms let most couples finish a draft in a few hours, but state waiting periods, not the software, set the earliest date you can sign. Read article →
- Prenup Questionnaire: What Information You'll Need Before You Start Every state requires some level of financial disclosure for a prenup to hold up, so an intake questionnaire starts by gathering each partner's assets, debts, income, and obligations. Read article →
- How to Store Your Prenup After It's Signed: Soft Copies, Hard Copies, and Redundancy A prenup does not need to be filed with any court to be valid; it is a private contract you store yourself, ideally using the 3-2-1 backup rule popularized by photographer Peter Krogh. Read article →
See how First works, step by step
Answer guided questions together, get a state-specific draft, add attorneys if you want them, and notarize online.
03
Do you need a lawyer for a prenup?
Whether you need one attorney, two, or none comes down to your state and how much protection you want if the agreement is ever challenged. Start with the two-lawyer question.
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Do You Need Two Lawyers for a Prenup?
No state requires two lawyers for a valid prenup, but one attorney cannot represent both partners, and independent counsel is the strongest protection there is.
- Can You Get a Prenup With Only One Lawyer? What Independent Counsel Requirements Mean Most states let a couple sign a prenup with one lawyer or none, but a single attorney cannot ethically represent both partners under ABA Model Rule 1.7. Read article →
- What Kind of Lawyer Does Prenups? A prenup is handled by a family law attorney, the same lawyers who work on divorce, marital property, and spousal support under each state's version of the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act. Read article →
- Prenup Lawyer Near Me: What You're Actually Paying For in 2026 Family law attorneys typically charge $2,500 to $10,000+ per couple to draft a prenup, with hourly billing driving most of the cost variance. Read article →
- What Is a Guided Prenup With Two Independent Attorneys? (2026) A guided prenup with two independent attorneys gives each partner their own lawyer to advise, negotiate, and revise before signing. How it works and the cost. Read article →
- 5 Critical Factors to Consider When Choosing an Attorney Find the right lawyer with these key tips for selecting the best legal representation for your specific needs. Read article →
Lawyer Review: an independent attorney for each of you
Licensed in your state, $3,500 flat for the couple. No retainers, no hourly bills.
04
Online, DIY or a lawyer: which route should you choose?
Templates, hourly attorneys and guided online platforms trade off price, time and certainty differently. Start with the side-by-side comparison.
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DIY Prenup vs. Attorney-Reviewed vs. Guided Online: Can You Write Your Own Prenup, and Should You?
Can you write your own prenup? Yes, in every state. Compare a DIY prenup, two attorneys, and a guided online platform on cost, time, and enforceability.
- Is an Online Prenup Legal? What Decides Whether It Holds Up in Court Yes. Online prenups are legal to create in every U.S. state. What decides enforceability is the process: writing, voluntary signing, full disclosure, and state formalities. Read article →
- Can You Get a Prenup Online, and Will It Hold Up? What Digital Signing Requires Electronic signatures are legally recognized in every U.S. state under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and an online prenup can be enforceable when it meets your state's rules. Read article →
- Prenup Template and Sample Prenuptial Agreement: Annotated, Section by Section See a sample prenuptial agreement section by section, with what each part does, and why a free prenup template can't apply your state's rules on its own. Read article →
- Should You Let AI Write Your Prenup? What ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Get Wrong AI can explain prenup concepts and draft generic clauses, but it consistently misses the state-specific formalities that determine whether your agreement is enforceable. Read article →
- Best Online Prenup Services Compared (2026) Seven online prenup services compared on what you get, how the process works for the two of you, help along the way, ratings, and what each price leaves out. Read article →
- The Online Prenup Buyer's Guide (2026) An online prenup is a premarital agreement built through a guided digital process. Costs, state rules, what to include, and when attorney review matters. Read article →
- Prenup provider red flags: Essential checklist for security Not all prenup services are equal. Here's your checklist of red flags and why First is the smart, safe choice. Read article →
Self-Serve: drafted for your state, not from a template
$649 flat for the couple, online notarization included.
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