After being a guest at all those June weddings, maybe you are thinking about taking the plunge. Or if you are in a same-sex relationship, perhaps the United States Supreme Court’s recent repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act has you thinking. If so, or even if you have already said “I do,” you might want to consider some ways of dealing with the practical issues of a contractual union “until death do us part.”

A marriage is truly more than just the joining of two people. It is a merger of their families, and each year we see more books and movies poking fun at the hilarious misadventures created by an unpredictable cast of parents, siblings, in-laws and other new relatives. While great fodder for storytelling, you never want those misadventures to become fuel for legal disputes over property, income or inheritance. Unfortunately, there seem to be even more case books full of such disputes than there are zany comedies on the subject. Perhaps that is why prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are becoming increasingly common.

This edition of “If You Will” provides a look at some of the considerations associated with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and estate planning for first or subsequent marriages.