Court Opinion

ID: 9852294
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:27:51.801933+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:25.118175
License: Public Domain

SACKETT, Judge
(specially concurring).
I concur with the decision reached by the majority because I consider it, as they do, an equitable resolution of the economic issues in this dissolution.
However, unlike the majority, I do not find the issue of whether the premarital agreement was abandoned to be the area of focus in this dissolution or to be controlling on the issue of an equitable resolution. Premarital agreements in this state are recognized and enforced. Provisions of antenuptial agreements which allow parties to relieve themselves of obligations which attach to a marriage contract are generally void as against public policy. See Norris v. Norris, 174 N.W.2d 368, 369-71 (Iowa 1970). In Norris, the court held void as against public policy the following provision in a marriage contract:
This contract is made on the assumption, on the part of both parties, that their life together, after marriage will be happy and congenial and free from any domestic discord, but should any discord arise involving court proceedings, neither party shall have the right to claim anything of the other’s property under this contract, but the property rights of the parties shall stand just as they were before the marriage occurred.
174 N.W.2d at 369; see also York v. Ferner, 59 Iowa 487, 491, 13 N.W. 630, 632 (1882) (consideration for an antenuptial contract is the marriage contract; if the marriage contract is broken and violated, the marriage contract cannot be enforced); Veeder v. Veeder, 195 Iowa 587, 597, 192 N.W. 409, 413 (1923).
The Iowa court has clearly said provisions limiting alimony in a prenuptial agreement are void as against public policy, In re Marriage of Winegard, 278 N.W.2d 505, 512 (Iowa 1979); In re Marriage of Gudenkauf 204 N.W.2d 586, 587-88 (Iowa 1973); Norris, 174 N.W.2d at 369-70, and has, in spite of a prenuptial agreement to the contrary, awarded to a spouse a substantial lump sum, an award they determined to be in lieu of alimony. Winegard, 278 N.W.2d at 512; Gudenkauf, 204 N.W.2d at 588.
I agree with the majority that the agreement can be considered under the dictates of chapter 598. See Britven v. Britven, 259 Iowa 650, 656, 145 N.W.2d 450, 454 *717(1966). The end result in any dissolution action is not an interpretation of a prenuptial agreement but an assessment of all factors, including the agreement, to see if there is in fact an equitable result. An equitable result was reached here. I would affirm.