Monday, April 7, 2008

Get a Lawyer For Your Pre-nup

Know the phrase "Penny wise, pound foolish"? I do not actually know if that phrase applies to this case out of Maine but it could. Could just be just a case of a trusting, naive woman. Could be that someone had an aversion to lawyers.

The state's highest court ruled Tuesday that a clause in a premarital agreement signed by Kelene Barrows, widow of Timmy Barrows, means she has no claim to the Winthrop car dealership he ran with his brother.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court, in a decision written by Associate Justice Jon D. Levy, said Kelene Barrows waived all spousal rights when she signed a premarital agreement in 1997 shortly before marrying Timmy Barrows.

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Roger Katz, one of two attorneys who represented Kelene Barrows, said, "Although respectful of the court's decision, we feel badly for Kelene, who signed an agreement prepared by her fiancé's lawyer without really understanding it and without consulting her own lawyer.

"From our perspective, she really did not appreciate what she was waiving," Katz said.

Want a prenuptial agreement? Get a lawyer.

Your intended handed you a prenuptial agreement to sign? Get a lawyer.

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