





LAW OFFICES OF WARREN R. SHIELL
Certified Family Law Specialist
(310) 247-9913
UNIFORM PREMARITAL ACT FAMILY CODE SECTIONS 1610-1617
1610. As used in this chapter:
(a) "Premarital agreement" means an agreement between prospective spouses made in contemplation of marriage
and to be effective upon marriage.
(b) "Property" means an interest, present or future, legal or equitable, vested or contingent, in real or personal
property, including income and earnings.
1611. A premarital agreement shall be in writing and signed by both parties. It is enforceable without consideration.
1612. (a) Parties to a premarital agreement may contract with respect to all of the following:
(1) The rights and obligations of each of the parties in any of the property of either or both of them whenever and
wherever acquired or located.
(2) The right to buy, sell, use, transfer, exchange, abandon, lease, consume, expend, assign, create a security
interest in, mortgage, encumber, dispose of, or otherwise manage and control property.
(3) The disposition of property upon separation, marital dissolution, death, or the occurrence or nonoccurrence of
any other event.
(4) The making of a will, trust, or other arrangement to carry out the provisions of the agreement.
(5) The ownership rights in and disposition of the death benefit from a life insurance policy.
(6) The choice of law governing the construction of the agreement.
(7) Any other matter, including their personal rights and obligations, not in violation of public policy or a statute
imposing a criminal penalty.
(b) The right of a child to support may not be adversely affected by a premarital agreement.
(c) Any provision in a premarital agreement regarding spousal support, including, but not limited to, a waiver of it, is
not enforceable if the party against whom enforcement of the spousal support provision is sought was not
represented by independent counsel at the time the agreement containing the provision was signed, or if the
provision regarding spousal support is unconscionable at the time of enforcement. An otherwise unenforceable
provision in a premarital agreement regarding spousal support may not become enforceable solely because the party
against whom enforcement is sought was represented by independent counsel.
1613. A premarital agreement becomes effective upon marriage.
1614. After marriage, a premarital agreement may be amended or revoked only by a written agreement signed by
the parties. The amended agreement or the revocation is enforceable without consideration.
1615. (a) A premarital agreement is not enforceable if the party against whom enforcement is sought proves either
of the following:
(1) That party did not execute the agreement voluntarily.
(2) The agreement was unconscionable when it was executed and, before execution of the agreement, all of the
following applied to that party:
(A) That party was not provided a fair, reasonable, and full disclosure of the property or financial obligations of the
other party.
(B) That party did not voluntarily and expressly waive, in writing, any right to disclosure of the property or financial
obligations of the other party beyond the disclosure provided.
(C) That party did not have, or reasonably could not have had, an adequate knowledge of the property or financial
obligations of the other party.
(b) An issue of unconscionability of a premarital agreement shall be decided by the court as a matter of law.
(c) For the purposes of subdivision (a), it shall be deemed that a premarital agreement was not executed voluntarily
unless the court finds in writing or on the record all of the following:
(1) The party against whom enforcement is sought was represented by independent legal counsel at the time of
signing the agreement or, after being advised to seek independent legal counsel, expressly waived, in a separate
writing, representation by independent legal counsel.
(2) The party against whom enforcement is sought had not less than seven calendar days between the time that
party was first presented with the agreement and advised to seek independent legal counsel and
the time the agreement was signed.
(3) The party against whom enforcement is sought, if unrepresented by legal counsel, was fully informed of the
terms and basic effect of the agreement as well as the rights and obligations he or she was giving up by signing the
agreement, and was proficient in the language in which the explanation of the party's rights was conducted and in
which the agreement was written. The explanation of the rights and obligations relinquished shall be memorialized in
writing and delivered to the party prior to signing the agreement. The unrepresented party shall, on or before the
signing of the premarital agreement, execute a document declaring that he or she received the
information required by this paragraph and indicating who provided that information.
(4) The agreement and the writings executed pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (3) were not executed under duress,
fraud, or undue influence, and the parties did not lack capacity to enter into the agreement.
(5) Any other factors the court deems relevant.
1616. If a marriage is determined to be void, an agreement that would otherwise have been a premarital agreement
is enforceable only to the extent necessary to avoid an inequitable result.
1617. Any statute of limitations applicable to an action asserting a claim for relief under a premarital agreement is
tolled during the marriage of the parties to the agreement. However, equitable defenses limiting the time for
enforcement, including laches and estoppel, are available to either party.
Prenuptial Agreements
Acclaimed lawyers representing business owners, property developers, investors, doctors, surgeons, celebrities, professional athletes and other high net-worth individuals and their spouses. We are experts in protecting your privacy, keeping your information confidential and ensuring your divorce is finalized efficiently and with sensitivity.
Enforceability of Prenups
We act as mediators or as consulting attorneys to help people resolve their family law issues through mediation. The great advantage of mediation is that people reach desirable settlements with lessened conflict, stress and legal fees. Particularly where children are involved, a mediated settlement often provides a better foundation for a future working relationship with your ex-partner.
California Premarital Act
Our job is to help you navigate this emotional and difficult process. We focus on child-centered amicable mediated settlements designed to provide a foundation for your future co-parenting relationship. In those cases where a parenting plan cannot be resolved through negotiation, we zealously litigate to defend you and your children’s best interests.
Warren R. Shiell, Certified Family Law Specialist
Warren R. Shiell is a Certified Family Law Specialist - a distinction earned by less than 1 in 200 family attorneys and has been endorsed by other family lawyers and family court judges. Applying nearly 30 years of legal experience, Mr. Shiell focuses on resolving his clients’ family law issues with a minimum amount of conflict and litigation through the use of negotiation, mediation and settlement conferences.
Graduating from Oxford University with an M.A. in Law in 1985, Mr. Shiell practiced commercial litigation in the City of London before moving to New York. In New York, Mr. Shiell handled numerous civil and family law trials and won several appeals at the New York Appellate Division. Mr. Shiell’s practice is focused exclusively on family law. He has lectured and published articles on behalf of various local Bar Associations, newspapers and magazines and has volunteered his time for a number of not-for-profit legal organizations. He has been
named a "Super Lawyer" by Los Angeles Magazine and has served as a member of the Family Law Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Family Law Attorney, Certified Family Law Specialist
WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Gary L.
"Mr Shiell recently represented me for
almost one year in a prolonged, complicated, legal action to reduce and or eliminate my alimony obligation. Warren is extremely knowledgeable, fair,
responsive, wise, and very experienced with a chaotic legal system. He knew which additional experts were critical to the successful resolution of my case.
Although Warren gives the appearance of being very calm and "laid back" he is a tough negotiator and always represented my best interests against a team of lawyers who were aggressive and
extremely confrontational. I value Warren's advice and in retrospect, he was 100% accurate in all the information he conveyed to me in a timely fashion. Warren's billing was honest and fair.
Thankfully, my alimony "battle" is now behind me with a successful resolution thanks to the expertise of Mr Shiell. Based on my personal experience, I highly recommend Warren Shiell!"

Joseph T.
"Warren is conscientious, reliable, intelligent, and professional. He did great work for me and I'd happily work with him again in the future. He explained everything to me clearly in terms I could
understand, and followed through with excellent results. His knowledge and experience in family law is unrivaled - some of his work has become case law! In fact, the lawyer on the other side of the table clearly respected Warren very highly, which helped resolve things very quickly and effectively."

GL
"Warren represented me as I went through a very difficult divorce. I have an 8 month old daughter and was emotionally drained from the events leading up to the dissolution of my marriage and discouraged by the thought of being a single mom. Warren made my life so much easier and kept me calm, collected and focused in court. He is honest, helpful, organized and thorough. When judgement came back in my favor, I had only Warren to thank. Even after my case was settled, he
continued to be helpful by answering any questions I had going forward. I would recommend Warren to anyone needing an attorney and I now see why a judge in the Los Angeles area referred me to him. That referral is one that I am the most grateful for. Thank you Warren! My daughter and
I appreciate you! "
