Declarations of trust are usually associated with, and limited to, property purchases made before marriage. They typically set out and define each party's contribution to the price of a house, particularly when one contributes more towards the deposit, and how the proceeds of any sale would be divided between them. In most cases, however, the protection offered by a declaration of trust is lost if the parties get married and the court has the power to decide what should happen to the equity in the property. A prenuptial agreement could be designed to set out the same criteria and continue this protection.