That made me uncomfortable, and I asked my married friends what they did. We took a different route, each holding our assets from before the marriage in our own names and combining everything we accumulated since. So far I'm comfortable with the arrangement, but I still wonder what the right way is to protect myself and my son. So I asked the experts. It is particularly hurtful for women who put their careers on hold to raise the kids and take care of the family home.
Page urges women to consider their financial status before they enter a marriage.
First, she suggests, don't co-mingle the funds that you had before marriage. It would be very simple to make up a document showing how the money was co-mingled so that you don't lose your equity if you split up. The other instance in which women lose financially is when they put their careers outside the home on hold. Several of my friends chose to leave their jobs when they had children. They were lucky to have husbands who could support their families, but in fact every one of these women co-mingled their money from before their marriage, even before they purchased their houses.