Prenuptial contracts gain popularity in Moldova

More and more Moldova couples resort to prenuptial contracts in order to insure the assets they will accumulate during their marriage. According to notaries, whereas before the service was mostly requested by couples in which one of the partners was the citizen of another state, now these contracts are gaining popularity among families where both spouses are Moldovans. Tatian Ungureanu, the president of the Notaries Union, told Info-Prim Neo that both the youth and elder people request information and sign prenuptial contracts. Sometimes the parents of the future newlyweds visit the notary. “Some of the moments in life force people into signing such contracts”, mentioned Tatiana Ungureanu. The notary said that she had one case when a couple signed such a contract 5 years into their marriage. “It would be good if people conscientiously signed such contracts, in order to guarantee their rights and patrimony, because in the case of divorce, or in the case of one of the partners’ deaths someone may appear and claim these same assets”, said the notary. Tatiana Ungureanu mentioned that she has no knowledge of people annulling their prenuptial contract. In 2011 the notary officiated 5 such contracts, and another 4 within the first 8 months the current year. Another notary, Maria Stoica, stated that she met a case when the spouses decided to sign a prenuptial contract when already married, in the moment when one of them wanted to buy a car and the other to start a business. “It is an individual asset”, said the notary. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, neither the Ministry of Justice nor the Civil Status Service had information on the number of prenuptial agreements signed in Moldova.