Deciding how you will be married - and we are not talking about whether it will be in a Church, in a garden or whether you will be married by a shaman - we mean the actual financial and proprietary consequences of your union - is crucial.

Don’t forget that besides saying “I do” there are still important legal concerns to take into consideration before your big day.

Whether you are getting married to your same-sex partner under the Civil Union Amendment Act, want to get married under customary law by means of an ANC under the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act or are entering into a civil marriage under the Marriages Act - the how you will get married will be the same.

There is actually more to an Ante Nuptial Contract than just deciding on your marital regime – there are a lot of practical considerations that need to be taken into account. We thought we would go through some of those, remembering that there is never a stupid question! Here are some of the most common ones…

Are you getting married in terms of customary law? You need to be aware of the implications of not having an ante nuptial contract.

The accrual system determines that at dissolution of the marriage (through divorce or death), each party shares in the accrual (growth in assets) accumulated by the other as a fair mechanism to compensate both parties. Importantly, parties only share in the accrual or “net profit” of the other’s estate and not in any losses incurred.

Because it’s important to have your prenuptial contract in place prior to getting married, well help you understand the details and benefits of the different types of ante nuptial contacts, and the benefits of each.

It’s important to sort out all the legalities before your wedding date. Upfront legal advice and assistance is essential here.