What Prenups and Postnups Do Under Washington Law

Here is the part most couples never hear from a prenuptial agreement attorney in Seattle: a well drafted agreement is not a bet against your marriage. It is a written understanding of what belongs to whom, made while you both like each other. Couples who sign one often report that the money conversation itself, the full inventory of assets and debts on the table, was the most honest financial talk they had ever had.

Washington is a community property state. In plain terms, most property and income either spouse acquires during the marriage belongs to both of you, and a court divides it if the marriage ends. Property you brought into the marriage, plus gifts and inheritances, is generally separate. But separate and community assets get tangled fast: a house one spouse owned before the wedding gets paid down with community income, a business grows during the marriage, retirement accounts mix old contributions with new ones.

For an agreement to be enforceable in Washington, two things matter most. First, fair and full disclosure: each spouse has to honestly reveal their assets, debts, and income before signing. Second, real fairness in the process, which is why courts look closely at whether each person had the chance to consult independent counsel and enough time to review the agreement without pressure. An agreement signed in the car on the way to the ceremony invites a challenge later.

How We Handle Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

View Ridge Law is a family law firm that litigates divorces in the same courts where these agreements get tested. That shapes how we draft. We have seen which provisions survive scrutiny and which ones a judge sets aside, and we build your contract with that fight in mind so you never have to have it.

The process is straightforward. We start with a case evaluation where you tell us what you own, what you owe, and what you want the agreement to accomplish. We then prepare the full financial disclosure both of you will exchange, because skipping that step is the single most common reason Washington agreements fail. We draft terms in plain language you can actually read, walk you through every provision, and encourage your future spouse or spouse to have their own attorney review it. Independent review is not just protective for them. It protects your agreement, because a contract both sides understood and negotiated freely is far harder to attack later.

Timing matters too. If you are engaged, contact a prenup lawyer in Washington months before the wedding, not weeks. If the wedding is close, a postnuptial agreement signed calmly after the honeymoon is often the sturdier route, and we will tell you honestly which one makes sense for you.

Why Seattle Couples Choose View Ridge Law

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are a standing practice area here, not an occasional add-on, and the same office handles the divorce litigation that shows us exactly how these contracts perform when tested.

Recognized for our work

Honored by readers and the legal community

The firm has been recognized with the Seattle Times Best in the PNW award in 2024 and 2025, listed among Expertise.com Best Divorce Lawyers in Seattle, and reviewed on Avvo.

About Jordan A. Honjiyo

Jordan A. Honjiyo

Associate Attorney, View Ridge Law

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are Jordan A. Honjiyo’s primary focus at View Ridge Law: he helps couples protect assets, clarify financial responsibilities, and reduce conflict before it starts. Practicing since 2018, Jordan built his family-law experience on litigation, property settlement agreements, parenting plans, child support orders, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Jordan began his career as a volunteer attorney for the Housing Justice Project and other neighborhood legal clinics, and he has guided families through probate and estate administration — useful range for agreements that sit exactly where marriage and money meet. He understands what it means to support families at stressful, highly consequential times.

Credentials: Practicing since 2018 · Primary focus: prenuptial & postnuptial agreements · Family law litigation and property settlement experience · Probate and estate administration experience · Read Jordan’s full bio →