(a) A premarital agreement is not enforceable if the party against whom enforcement is sought proves that:
(1) That party did not execute the agreement voluntarily; or
(2) The agreement was unconscionable when it was executed and, before execution of the agreement, that party:
(A) Was not provided a fair and reasonable disclosure of the property or financial obligations of the other party;
(B) Did not voluntarily and expressly waive, in writing, any right to disclosure of the property or financial obligations of the other party beyond the disclosure provided; and
(C) Did not have, or reasonably could not have had, an adequate knowledge of the property or financial obligations of the other party.
(b) If a provision of a premarital agreement modifies or eliminates spousal or domestic partner support and that modification or elimination causes one party to the agreement to be eligible for support under a program of public assistance at the time of separation, marital dissolution, or termination of a domestic partnership pursuant to § 32-702(d), a court, notwithstanding the terms of the agreement, may require the other party to provide support to the extent necessary to avoid that eligibility.
(c) An issue of unconscionability of a premarital agreement shall be decided by the court as a matter of law.
CREDIT(S)
(Feb. 9, 1996, D.C. Law 11-82, § 7, 42 DCR 6770; Apr. 4, 2006, D.C. Law 16-79, § 8(e), 53 DCR 1035; Sept. 12, 2008, D.C. Law 17-231, § 40(b), 55 DCR 6758.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 30-146.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 16-79 rewrote subsec. (b) which had read as follows:
“(b) If a provision of a premarital agreement modifies or eliminates spousal support and that modification or elimination causes 1 party to the agreement to be eligible for support under a program of public assistance at the time of separation or marital dissolution, a court, notwithstanding the terms of the agreement, may require the other party to provide support to the extent necessary to avoid that eligibility.”
D.C. Law 17-231, in subsec. (b), substituted “pursuant to § 32-702(d),” for “under § 32-702,”.
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 11-82, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 46-501.
For Law 16-79, see notes following § 46-501.
For Law 17-231, see notes following § 46-503.
Uniform Law
This section is based upon § 6 of the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act. See 9C Uniform Laws Annotated, Master Edition, or ULA Database on Westlaw.
