Free Connecticut Postnuptial Agreement Template

A Connecticut postnuptial agreement is a contract spouses sign after the wedding about property, support, and inheritance. Connecticut has no postnup statute, so its Supreme Court set the standard these agreements must meet.

The Standard Comes From the State Supreme Court

In Bedrick v. Bedrick (2011), the Connecticut Supreme Court held that postnuptial agreements are valid and enforceable and generally must follow contract principles. It added that their terms must be fair and equitable when signed and not unconscionable at the time of dissolution.

Closer Review Than a Prenup

In LaFrance v. Lodmell (2016), the court explained why. One spouse may gain unfair leverage by threatening divorce. For that reason, postnups get closer scrutiny than premarital agreements.

Estate Rights Can Be Settled by Contract

Connecticut gives a surviving spouse a statutory share. However, that share doesn’t apply if a written contract, made before or after marriage, gave the spouse something intended in its place (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-436(f)).

Yes, if they meet the Bedrick standard. That means sound contract principles, terms that are fair and equitable at signing, and terms that aren’t unconscionable when the marriage ends.

The second test looks forward. Because courts judge fairness again at dissolution, a Connecticut postnuptial agreement works best when its terms still make sense years later. Some couples add a review date so they can revisit terms together.

Raising the Agreement in Court

Connecticut’s Practice Book sets deadlines for using a postnup in a divorce case (§ 25-2A). A spouse seeking enforcement must specifically demand it, including its date, in their claim for relief. Meanwhile, a spouse seeking to avoid it must reply within 60 days of that claim and state the grounds, unless the court allows otherwise.

Signing a Connecticut postnuptial agreement well means planning for both fairness tests:

1. Disclose finances fully. Each spouse shares assets, debts, and income before drafting starts.
2. Negotiate without pressure. Keep threats of divorce out of the talks, since the court named that leverage as its concern.
3. Give each spouse time to get independent advice.
4. Address estate rights on purpose. If one spouse is receiving something in place of the statutory share, say so in writing.
5. Sign together. Each spouse dates their signature on the final draft.
6. Keep the original safe. Its date matters, because a demand for enforcement must include it.

Keep the essentials clear:

• Financial disclosures — attached summaries from both spouses
• Property terms — what stays separate and what you share
• Support terms — any agreement on alimony
• Estate provisions — anything given in place of the statutory share
• Review clause — an optional date to revisit the terms