The Money Mistakes Every Woman Needs to Avoid Before Marriage! Celebrity Attorney Laura Wasser

July 15, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Prenup Conversation Is Actually About Everything Else

Celebrity family law attorney Laura Wasser has spent over 30 years inside the most contentious divorces and prenuptial negotiations in California. But the core insight she offers has nothing to do with celebrity drama: the prenup conversation is not really about the document. It is about whether two people can talk honestly about money, roles, and expectations before they legally bind their lives together.

Why the Prenup Conversation Matters More Than the Prenup

Wasser argues that the four corners of any marriage—what you own (assets), what you owe (debts), what you earn (income), and what you spend (expenses)—are things both partners need to understand before marrying, not when they are divorcing. In California, the prenup process mandates full disclosure of all four, which forces couples to have conversations they otherwise avoid. "Those are important conversations to have before you get married, not before you get divorced," Wasser says.

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What you'll learn

1 (03:28) **Why You Need to Listen (Even If You're Not a Celebrity)** - Laura Wasser explains that the same financial and relational principles apply whether you have millions or are just starting out, and that the conversations around prenups are crucial for anyone cohabiting, marrying, or having children.
2 (05:08) **A Personal Confession: The Prenup Was the Most Romantic Part of Our Wedding** - Host Maggie Sellers Reum shares her own experience of going through a prenup with her husband, revealing how it transformed from a source of terror to a foundational tool for their marriage.
3 (06:23) **When to Start the Money Talk (Hint: Early)** - Wasser advises that conversations about finances, debt, and life goals should start early in a serious relationship, even before engagement, to establish healthy communication patterns.
4 (08:00) **Destigmatizing the Prenup: It's Not Pre-Negotiating Your Divorce** - The conversation shifts to why prenups are becoming less taboo and how they can actually define the terms of the marriage itself, not just the divorce.
5 (10:43) **Do You Need a Prenup If You Have Nothing?** - Wasser explains the default rules of community property in California and helps listeners decide if they need a prenup based on their comfort with those state laws.
6 (12:22) **The Perfect Timeline and How to Start the Conversation** - Wasser provides a practical timeline for when to bring up a prenup and a script for how to frame it positively.
7 (15:40) **The "How To" for Drafting and Presenting a Prenup** - Wasser gives actionable advice on how to move from conversation to drafting, including the role of online tools like Hello Prenup.

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Guests on this episode

Laura Wasser Maggie Sellers Reum

Show Notes

Laura Wasser, celebrity divorce lawyer to Kim Kardashian, Johnny Depp, and Angelina Jolie, joins Maggie Sellers Reum on Hot Smart Rich to talk prenups, marriage, divorce, money, power and protecting the life you’re building.

Following more than years handling Hollywood’s biggest divorces, Laura explains why a prenup is not a prediction of failure, but one of the smartest actions an ambitious woman can have before marriage.

She reveals when to bring the prenup conversation up, the financial red flags to never ignore, what happens when one partner earns more, and why every woman should understand the money in her relationship, even if she is not the breadwinner.

Plus, Laura breaks down engagement rings, expensive gifts, embryos, divorce settlements and the wildest prenup clauses she has seen.

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(00:00) Intro

(05:49) What A Prenup Really Does

(10:48) How Early Should You Discuss A Prenup?

(16:20) What Can Invalidate a Prenup?

(19:13) Can A Prenup Be 50/50?

(23:42) How Laura Built Her Reputation

(28:06) Pipedrive Ad

(29:23) Rella Ad

(33:26) Red Flags You Should Not Ignore

(36:33) Can Money Buy Happiness?