Post-marital Agreement

Texas Court Reinforces That Post-Marital Agreements Will Be Enforced as Written

Published on: August 14, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

A recent Texas appellate decision highlights the importance of carefully drafting post-marital agreements and understanding the obligations created by those agreements. In a recent divorce case, the Fourteenth Court of Appeals considered whether a trial court could modify contractual spousal maintenance provisions and how reimbursement claims should be handled when community funds are used to benefit separate property.

The court held that valid marital agreements must be enforced according to their terms, while also recognizing the financial consequences of the parties’ conduct after signing the agreement. Schuller v. Schuller, No. 14-24-00310-CV, 2025 WL ___ (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2025).

Background of the Case

Texas Appeals Court Upholds Post-Marital Agreement Giving Ex-Husband Millions More than Ex-Wife

Published on: September 15, 2025 | by Kelly McClure

A Texas postnuptial agreement is not enforceable if the party proves that it was not signed voluntarily or that it was unconscionable and they were not given a fair and reasonable disclosure of the other party’s property or financial obligations, did not voluntarily and expressly waive disclosure in writing, and did not have or reasonably could not have had adequate knowledge of the other party’s property or obligations. Tex. Fam. Code § 4.105. A former husband recently challenged a finding the parties’ postnuptial agreement in a high net worth divorce was unenforceable.

The parties married in 1991 and the wife petitioned for divorce in 2019. She voluntarily non-suited that case and the parties signed a postnuptial agreement. The wife filed for divorce again in 2022. She argued the agreement was unconscionable and she had entered into it involuntarily.

According to the appeals court, the evidence showed the husband was not represented by an attorney at the time. The wife emailed him links to websites about postnuptial agreements. The husband testified they drafted an agreement that day. The wife denied being involved with drafting the agreement. The husband testified she told him her attorney would review it and he agreed to reimburse her for the fees. She contacted her attorney at some point and signed the non-suit order. The court granted the non-suit the same day the wife’s attorney filed it. The following day, the parties signed the agreement in front of a notary, but the wife’s attorney was not present.

Court Finds Texas Prenup Did Not Waive Reimbursement Claims Costing Wife over $200,000 in Divorce

Published on: August 14, 2025 | by Francesca Blackard

Texas spouses may agree in writing to partition or exchange some or all of their community property between themselves such that the property becomes the separate property of one spouse. A former wife recently challenged her divorce decree, arguing the trial court erred in awarding a reimbursement claim against her, reducing the spousal maintenance below the amount stated in the parties’ agreement, and including contingencies on the spousal maintenance that were not in the agreement.

According to the appeals court’s opinion, the parties married in 2006. They signed a Marital Property Partition and Exchange Agreement in 2020 that made two pieces of property the wife’s sole and separate property. She agreed to be responsible for the debt associated with them. The husband, however, made some of those payments from his community property income until the date of divorce.

The couple stopped living together in 2022 and the husband petitioned for divorce. The court enforced the agreement, but divided the other property according to the husband’s proposed division.

Texas Supreme Court Vacates Divorce Filed by Guardian in High Net Worth Divorce

Published on: April 27, 2025 | by Kelly McClure

A Texas marriage may end by either death of a spouse or a court order. Generally, it is clear how a marriage ended, but in some cases, there can be a dispute. In a recent case, the Texas Supreme Court considered whether a divorce filed by the husband’s guardian resulted in a valid divorce decree before the husband’s death.

The husband had significant assets. He and his fourth wife signed a pre-marital agreement before the marriage in September 2011 and a post-marital agreement, agreeing no community property would be created and each spouse would keep their separate property unless they transferred it to the other in writing or by a will.

The husband petitioned for divorce after about seven months, but was diagnosed with dementia. He failed to prosecute the case and it was dismissed. His daughter claimed he still wanted the divorce, while the wife alleged he changed his mind.

Texas Court Addresses Validity of Post-Nuptial Agreement

Published on: February 18, 2023 | by Kelly McClure

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While it is not the most comfortable thing to consider before or during the marriage, premarital and postnuptial agreements are critical to establishing each partner’s property and financial rights. Texas law provides a mechanism for couples in a marriage to accomplish the same results that could have been created in a premarital agreement. These post-nuptial agreements are often referred to as “marital property agreements.”

There is a general understanding that there are many reasons why a couple might want to change the character of their marital assets during their marriage. Accordingly, the formalities and enforcement rules for post-nuptial agreements are, in effect, the same as for premarital agreements. However, Texas post-nuptial agreements are often prone to issues surrounding unconscionability and involuntariness.

TEXAS COURT FINDS POST-NUPTIAL PARTIAL AND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT INVALID AND UNENFORCEABLE

In one of the more recent published opinions regarding post-nuptial agreements, a Texas appeals court affirmed a trial court’s judgment finding that a post-nuptial Partition and Exchange Agreement (PEA) was not valid or enforceable.

Texas Appeals Court Upholds Arbitration Award in Divorce Case

Published on: November 27, 2021 | by Francesca Blackard

iStock-1287431987-300x200 When a couple enters into a Texas pre-marital agreement or post-marital agreement, they may include an arbitration provision in the agreement. Arbitration can be a cost-effective way to resolve disputes, but an arbitration decision often cannot be appealed. In a recent case, a wife appealed a final divorce decree confirming an arbitration award, arguing the arbitrator exceeded her authority.

Husband and Wife Enter into Post-Nuptial Agreement During Marriage

During the marriage, the parties signed an agreement to make “what would otherwise be community property instead be separate property.” The agreement included an arbitration provision.

When the agreement was executed, the husband was president of a company and the wife was vice president. The agreement stated that the parties agreed each of them would “be guaranteed to receive equal pay and bonuses as both President and Vice President. . .”

Is My Spouse Entitled to Half of My 401(k)?

Published on: January 24, 2021 | by Spencer Page

iStock-654702696 For many Texans, their 401(k) plan is one of their largest assets – particularly for those who have made regular contributions throughout their career. On top of that, 401(k) plans often hold symbolic significance above and beyond their sheer dollar value. To some, they represent safety, security, and an end to the monotonous rat race. For others, they are a prize, a badge of honor earned after countless late nights at the office. However, no matter the role they play in your life, the thought of losing half of your hard-earned nest egg can be terrifying. This begs the question: how much of your 401(k) is actually at stake in a Texas divorce? Continue Reading ›

Fraudulent Texas Partition or Exchange Agreement Found Unenforceable

Published on: November 25, 2020 | by Spencer Page

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What is a Partition or Exchange Agreement?

In Texas, spouses can enter into agreements (often referred to as “partition or exchange agreements“) during marriage, partitioning community property between themselves. A partition or exchange agreement must satisfy several requirements to be valid and enforceable, including being signed by both spouses. However, when the stakes are high, some unscrupulous spouses may trick their unknowing partner into signing the partition or exchange agreement under false pretenses or, even worse, forge their partner’s signature. Recently, one husband did both.

Ninth District of Texas Court of Appeals