11/07  I know the MOTD is not the right place to for this, but searches on the
       web reveals too much information.  Anyway, does anyone know of URL of
       concise summaries or know of the answers to the followings:
        1) If I marry a student and have a divorce before she has the potential
           to earn an income, can she still get 1/2 of my options, house, car,
           bank account, investment account, retirement accounts, etc.?
           \_ Yep, but what state?
        2) How are my debts?  Will she also be liable for 1/2 of them if she is
           to claim 1/2 of my possesions?
           \_ Yeh rt.
        3) What if after she has the potential to earn an income?
           \_ Then the potential hopefully is that she'll eventually
              earn more than you and dump you.
        4) Is there any way that I can prevent this from happening short of a
           prenutial?  Something like a trust or irrovocable trust?
           \_ Dont get married. Or have an offshore account.
           \_ A prenup will help, but if she dumps you before earning
              anything, the judge can throw it out.
              A special type of trust, where you can access the assets
              and are a trustee but the trust isn't in your "name" will
              prevent her from touching your money. There are problems
              with this though, since it can only be used to secure pre-
              marital assets. After you get married you are SOL. The
              best option is to only get married if you can affort to
              lose big. Unless you are a multimillionare, no woman is
              worth it. Remember women come and go, money lasts a
              lifetime.
              \_ My girl sticked with me through thick and thin.  No
                 amount of money is worth more than her.
                 \_ yermom doesn't count.
                    \_ Hehe.  Did ya gain all that cynicism when yermom
                        dumped you and your dad?
        \_ Why should all of this matter to you if want to get married?
           Just be happy that a woman will even give you the time of day.
           Consider whatever she takes when she leaves you for someone who
           is less of a self righteous asshole to be the price of getting
           your lame self laid
        \_ I guess you're just trying to cover your ass in worst-case
           scenario, but it sounds like you expect a divorce. If that's the
           case you deserve half your assets taken away. ie, don't marry
           unless you're positive you're gonna be in it for the long haul
           (so issues of potential income is a non-issue)
        \_ You people with your antiquated notions of love and romance
           really crack me up. If you get married without preparation,
           you *will* get screwed (far worse than anything you can do to
           her in bed). Women cannot be trusted and you should be prepared
           to defend what is rightfully yours.
            \_Look, the fact is that marriage is a LEGAL partnership. Once
              you get married you get to enjoy certain legal benefits,
              such as reduced tax rates (in single income families), etc.
              The price you pay for this is that your PARTNER is entitled
              to half the marital assets. Period. If you are so screwed in
              the head that your money is more important than your wifeor
              husband, then you deserve what you get. Anticipating
              nonexistant problems goes a long way toward creating them.
            \_ If you don't trust women, don't marry them. No problem.
             \_ This thread has come up before and there's always one guy who
              rehashes the same story.  Can you tell us exactly how your wife
              screwed you over?  Why the divorce and the subsequent money
              leeching?