29th September 2023

Trigger warning: Melania Trump renegotiates prenup

Richard Kershaw

Partner

Seasoned watchers of the Trump soap opera will not be surprised to learn that, following the mounting vicissitudes of her husband, Melania Trump is reported to have re-negotiated the terms of their prenuptial agreement.

Prenups regulate what happens to a couple's finances on divorce. They are a sensible wealth planning tool.

They often contain 'review' trigger clauses which require the agreement to be dusted off from time to time, usually when defined events occur - the birth of a child; redundancy; illness; and in that way, the agreement is kept up to date.

It must be a rare prenup which contains trigger clauses like 'if [husband] is indicted' or 'if [husband] is found guilty of committing fraud' - but maybe this one did. We will never know.