For consultants and freelancers
Variable income and business ownership make a prenup more complex, not less important
When your income changes with every project, retainer, and client engagement, a standard prenup template falls short. Your agreement should reflect how consulting income actually works.
Flat fee of $5,000 per couple. No payment to get started.
The income volatility question
Why variable income makes prenups more nuanced
Your income sources
Monthly retainers
Recurring client contracts that may or may not renew
Project-based fees
Fixed-scope engagements ranging from weeks to years
Performance bonuses
Success fees tied to client outcomes or milestones
Equity stakes
Advisory shares or carried interest in client companies
A salaried employee earns the same amount each pay period. A consultant might earn $15,000 one month and $85,000 the next, depending on active engagements, project completions, and client payment schedules.
This variability creates questions that a standard prenup may not address: How are shared expenses split when income fluctuates? What happens during a slow period? How is a large one-time project fee different from recurring retainer income?
A prenup can establish proportional frameworks rather than fixed amounts, which may better reflect the reality of how consulting couples manage finances together. Your attorney can review what approach makes sense given your specific income pattern.
For consultants earning between $150,000 and $400,000 or more annually, the year-to-year swing can be significant. The prenup conversation is about building a structure that works regardless of whether you are in a peak revenue year or a transition period.
Business vs. personal assets
Consultant assets that a prenup can address
Independent consultants often blur the line between personal and business property. A prenup can help clarify where each asset sits.
Client relationships and pipeline
Your network and reputation generate future income. A prenup can describe how the ongoing value of a consulting practice is treated separately from income already earned.
Intellectual property and frameworks
Proprietary methodologies, templates, and deliverable frameworks you developed before the marriage may be addressed as separate property. Your attorney can help clarify what was created before versus during the marriage.
Business equipment and tools
Computers, software licenses, office space deposits, and professional memberships used for earning income can be distinguished from shared household assets.
Accounts receivable and deferred payments
Consultants often have income earned but not yet collected. A prenup can address how outstanding invoices and deferred project payments are characterized.
How Neptune works
Three steps to a prenup that understands consulting income
Guided intake for variable income
Neptune's intake asks about your income sources, business structure, intellectual property, and client arrangements in plain language.
Free attorney consultation
Each partner gets connected with a separate, licensed attorney. Your attorney can review how your consulting income and business assets fit into the agreement.
Finalized agreement
Your attorney drafts an agreement that addresses the variability and complexity of consulting income. Turnaround is typically around 3 to 4 weeks.
Transparent pricing
One flat fee. Two independent attorneys.
$5,000
per couple, total
Rush pricing applies when the wedding is within 45 days. No payment required to get started.
Start your prenupCommon questions from consultants
How do you handle income that varies dramatically month to month?
A prenup does not need to predict your future income. Instead, it can establish frameworks for how income is characterized regardless of the amount. Your attorney can help you address scenarios where income fluctuates between $10,000 and $80,000 in a given month, including how expenses are shared when one partner's income is unpredictable.
What about equity I receive as an advisory fee from clients?
Advisory shares, carried interest in client funds, or equity compensation from consulting engagements can each be addressed in a prenup. The key questions are when the equity was granted, when it vests or becomes liquid, and whether the work that earned it happened before or during the marriage. Your attorney can review these distinctions.
My partner has a salaried job. Does the income asymmetry matter?
Couples with one variable-income partner and one salaried partner often benefit from a prenup that addresses proportional expense sharing. A prenup can describe how shared expenses are split when one income fluctuates, including frameworks for high-earning years versus lean periods.
I work with international clients. Does that complicate things?
If you earn income in multiple currencies or have business relationships across borders, your attorney can review whether any multi-jurisdiction considerations apply. Neptune's intake captures the relevant details about where your income originates.
What does it cost and how long does it take?
Neptune charges a flat fee of $5,000 per couple, which covers two independent attorneys (one for each partner). No payment is required to get started. Turnaround is typically around 3 to 4 weeks when both partners use Neptune attorneys. Rush pricing applies when the wedding is within 45 days.