Questions people ask
Straight answers, including the unhelpful ones.
Where a question is legal rather than practical, we say so and point you to an attorney.
A prenup, or prenuptial agreement, is a written contract two people sign before marrying that sets out how property, debts and finances will be treated if the marriage ends. Whether a specific agreement holds up is a question for a family-law attorney.
The document matters most at the moment nobody planned for, often decades after it was signed. By then the lawyer who drafted it may have retired and the firm may have merged or closed. The original — with every schedule and exhibit still attached — is what counsel will ask for. We do not draft, review or interpret agreements. We keep the original safe, in one place, where the person who needs it can reach it.
The full answer →A prenuptial agreement is usually held by the attorney who drafted it, by one or both spouses, or in a safe deposit box or private vault. Whoever holds it, the original needs to survive decades and stay producible by the person who needs it.
A Florida divorce involves court forms plus mandatory financial disclosure, which usually means tax returns, pay records, bank and investment statements, deeds, titles, loan documents and any marital agreement. The exact list for a case is set by the attorney handling it.
A financial affidavit is a sworn statement of each spouse's income, expenses, assets and liabilities, filed in a Florida divorce on a form the court publishes. Accurate figures depend on having the statements, titles and records behind them.
Preparing financially for divorce usually starts with locating originals — tax returns, statements, deeds, titles, loan documents and any marital agreement — and listing what exists and where. Strategy belongs to a family-law attorney and a financial professional; organization is the part within your control.
Florida law treats assets acquired by either party before the marriage, and assets acquired in exchange for them, as nonmarital. Whether a particular asset keeps that status depends on the records that show it, which is a question for an attorney.
The person who made the will normally keeps the original, or leaves it with the attorney who drafted it or with a court where that is permitted. An original carries weight a photocopy does not, so where it sits matters.
Most households keep important documents at home in a drawer or a fireproof box, and some use a bank safe deposit box or a private vault. What a given document has to survive decides which of those is enough.
Private vault boxes, home safes and specialist depositories are the usual alternatives to a bank safe deposit box. Many banks have reduced or closed box services at branches, which is why the question comes up at all.
A prenuptial agreement generally stays in force until the marriage ends or both parties change it in writing, unless the agreement itself sets an end date. Whether a particular agreement is enforceable is a question for a family-law attorney.
A prenuptial agreement written without counsel may be challenged on grounds that include disclosure and independent representation, which is why attorneys are usually involved on both sides. Whether a specific agreement holds is a legal question for a family-law attorney.
A private vault box is not anonymous. Every renter is identified against government-issued photo ID, every entry is logged and timestamped, and valid subpoenas and court orders are honored.
A vault box can be rented by one person, by two people jointly, or in the name of a trust or company, and the rental agreement decides who may enter. Choosing that structure before it matters is the useful part.
Every safe deposit box rental agreement lists categories a renter may not store, and that agreement governs. Items unlawful to possess, hazardous materials, perishables and anything living are excluded under any facility's terms.
When you are ready, we are here.
A short phone call is usually enough to know whether a box is the right answer. Sometimes it is not, and we will say so.