Nevada tops three measures
Nevada records the highest relative scores for prenup use, prenup interest and the state divorce-rate measure.
America's Prenup Planning Index
Where are couples more likely to have or want a prenup? This index combines reported prenup use and interest with state divorce-rate and household-income scores across all 50 states.
States Leading the Way in Prenup Planning
Key Findings
California ranks highest in income
California records the highest household-income score in the dataset.
The Northeast is most represented
New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut all place in the top 10.
Could a prenup conversation be useful?
Answer seven short prompts to identify financial topics you may want to discuss together or with a family law attorney. This tool does not determine whether a prenup is right for you.
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This self-assessment provides general information only. It is not legal advice and does not predict relationship outcomes.
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| Rank | State | Index score | Prenup use score | Prenup interest score | Divorce-rate score | Household-income score | Survey sample | Survey sample confidence |
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6 Topics Couples May Raise During Prenup Planning
Some topics may belong in a prenup. Others may require a different legal document or may simply guide a couple's private discussion.
01Social media
Couples may discuss expectations for sharing private information online. A lawyer can explain whether a written restriction would be enforceable.
02Pet ownership and care
Couples may discuss who would keep a pet and how care costs would be handled. State-law treatment of pets varies.
03Events that trigger agreement terms
Couples may define when particular agreement terms take effect, subject to state law. Legal marital status is determined separately.
04Substance-use commitments
Testing, treatment or financial terms can raise privacy, public-policy and enforceability concerns and should be reviewed by a lawyer.
05Personal and lifestyle expectations
Some couples discuss lifestyle commitments, although personal terms may not be legally enforceable.
06Debt allocation
Couples may identify separate debts and responsibility for future debts. Their agreement generally does not bind third-party creditors.
Important: These are discussion topics drawn from Avvo Stories, not a list of provisions courts will necessarily enforce. Prenups primarily address financial and property rights. Personal terms and matters such as healthcare directives require state-specific advice and may need different legal documents.
Want to understand your options?
A family law attorney can explain what a prenup may cover, how state law applies and what steps are required for a valid agreement.
Find a family law attorney who handles prenupsHow We Calculated the Index
Prenup use
Relative score for surveyed married or engaged adults who report having a prenup.
Prenup interest
Relative score for surveyed adults who want a prenup but do not currently have one.
Divorce-rate measure
State-level divorce-rate score. It does not represent a couple's personal chance of divorce.
Household income
Median household-income score used as a broad proxy for financial scale, not personal assets.
Survey sample
Online responses across every state. Samples below 200 are marked Low Confidence in the ranking.
Reading the scores
Higher values show a stronger relative position within this dataset. They are not probabilities or dollar amounts.
Sources and limitations: The index uses the supplied survey data, CDC/NCHS state divorce data and Census ACS household-income estimates. Survey field dates, questions, weighting details and dataset years should be documented before external publication.