Protect your company cap table and your marriage.
Keep your business or startup 100% intact without starving your shared household savings.
- What state default law does automatically: Even if you founded your LLC or startup before marriage, active appreciation generated by your labor during marriage is often claimed as marital property under state law.
- Why a $599 DIY form fails here: A $599 DIY form fails to address active vs. passive appreciation, retained earnings, VC investor transfer restrictions, or forensic valuation waivers.
- How couples solve this in Vespera: Vespera helps you separate business equity from household W-2/distribution cash flow so both partners and your co-founders stay protected.
The 3 traps couples hit when they don't align first.
1. The Active Appreciation Claim
Working full-time in your pre-marital business during marriage gives the marital estate a claim on the company's growth unless explicitly waived.
2. The Zero-Salary Reinvestment Trap
If a founder pays themselves an artificially low salary and keeps all profits inside a "separate" LLC, reviewing lawyers will challenge the agreement as unfair.
3. The $25,000 Forensic Valuation War
Without a clear valuation waiver, dividing business appreciation requires invasive forensic accountants and co-founder subpoenas.
The 3 fair ways couples handle this in Vespera.
Inside Vespera's Blind-Then-Reveal workspace, both partners privately pick which of these balanced models feels right to them.
100% Separate Equity + Shared Market Salary
All current and future business equity stays 100% with the founder, while W-2 salary and distributions paid to the household are shared.
Separate Control + Exit Milestone Contribution
Founder retains 100% voting control and ownership, and commits a fixed percentage of net cash proceeds upon an acquisition or IPO to the joint family account.
Bill Reimbursement if One Partner Carries the Home
If Partner B covers household bills while Partner A bootstraps a company, Partner B receives a guaranteed reimbursement or upside share.
Model your numbers right now.
1. Attorney Rate & Topics
2. Cost & Enforceability Comparison
High court-challenge risk: unrepresented $599 forms often fail on support waivers, RSUs, or business equity.
14 combined hrs negotiating from scratch at $1,200/hr combined.
Founders & Business Owners: Frequently Asked Questions
Can my VC investors or co-founders require a prenup?
Many startup shareholder agreements and institutional investors strongly encourage founders to keep voting shares separate so a divorce never disrupts control or triggers forced share transfers.
How do we make a founder prenup fair to the non-founder partner?
Pair 100% separate business ownership with a commitment that regular salary and distributions flow into your shared household, or include a liquidity-event bonus for the family.
Does a prenup protect a business I start after our wedding date?
Yes, if your agreement defines how future entities funded with separate capital vs. marital cash flow are categorized.
Why do founders use Vespera before calling family attorneys?
Business carve-out clauses are the #1 source of $12,000+ lawyer redline battles. Aligning with your partner on salary vs. equity rules in Vespera first cuts legal fees in half.
Agree on your prenup before hiring lawyers.
Answer guided prompts privately, see where you match, and hand your attorneys an agreed brief.
Vespera is a pre-lawyer financial alignment workspace, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice or draft binding contracts.