When former Beatle Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in 2002, there was no prenuptial agreement. When the couple separated, they skirmished over a financial settlement with McCartney’s estimated $1.5 billion fortune at stake. While Mills didn’t get the more than $200 million she was seeking, she ended up with the not-so-shabby sum of $49 million.

Almost half of all marriages in America end in divorce and the dissolution of a union typically involves emotions that are the polar opposite of those happy and joyful sentiments present on the wedding day. That’s why a prenuptial agreement, a contract signed prior to marriage that outlines how finances will be divided in the event of divorce, is a financially prudent move, legal and financial experts say. “People say that prenuptial agreements are terribly unromantic,” said celebrity divorce lawyer Raoul Felder. “But, a prenuptial agreement gives people protection and the ability to know what you are entitled to. These days, prenuptial agreements are no longer just the province of the super wealthy and anyone entering into a marriage with assets to protect should consider this contract.

Broaching the subject, without getting slapped

The numbers say it all. Just half of all marriages make it to the 15-year mark. It seems only prudent for people to sign prenuptial agreements, but bringing up that touchy subject may in fact be the biggest stumbling block to getting the agreement signed. A prenuptial agreement calibrates the romantic relationship into dollars and cents. Depending on your point of view, a prenuptial agreement could be considered offensive or pragmatic. Some people would say they would never sign a prenuptial agreement because they don’t plan on getting divorced and others would say since you don’t plan on getting divorced, you should just sign the agreement because it’ll never be enforced any way. So how do you start the discussion with your significant other? With kid gloves, taking care to bring it up at the appropriate time, preferably as part of a wider discussion on finances. If you were smart, you floated the idea before the big proposal. And no surprise here, be prepared to negotiate.