In the fast-paced, ultra-ambitious world of tech — where VCs are circling, startups are scaling, and your co-founder is also your spouse (or your situationship is complicated AF) — there’s one underrated legal tool you should be talking about:
Yep. A postnuptial agreement. In California. For people in tech.
Wait, don’t click away — this isn’t your uncle’s dry divorce blog. This is about protecting your IP, your startup equity, and the five years you spent building something from your garage or laptop in a WeWork with the love of your life — who now wants out (or worse, wants half).
Let’s unpack.
What Even Is a Postnup?
Most people have heard of prenups — contracts you sign before marriage outlining how assets will be divided in case of divorce.
A postnup (postnuptial agreement) is the same thing, but signed after you’re already married. And in California, where community property laws are real spicy, postnups can be the difference between keeping your equity… or giving up half of your startup if things go south.
Why Tech Entrepreneurs Need to Pay Attention
Let’s say you founded an app. It’s gaining traction. You’re in YC. Your valuation just 10x’d after a seed round. Life’s exciting — but you’re also married, and you put in the sweat equity. Not your spouse.
Now imagine: divorce. Without a postnup, California law could view that company as community property, meaning your spouse might be entitled to a significant piece of something they didn’t build. And if your cap table’s already complicated? Yeah — good luck explaining that to investors.
A postnup solves this. It draws the line, clearly and legally.
The Tech Couple Dilemma
Let’s be honest: tech couples are a thing. You met your co-founder at a hackathon. You were each other’s plus-ones at Web Summit. You built something together, romantically or professionally.
Postnups aren’t just about “what happens if we split.” They can also clarify who owns what when you work together — especially when blurred lines between romance and business start to get legally messy.
It’s not cynical. It’s smart. It’s like writing clean code or version-controlling your life. 🔧
But Isn’t That… Unromantic?
You know what’s really unromantic?
Getting blindsided in court over who owns your NFT collection or arguing over that seed-stage startup that turned into a unicorn. 💀
Postnups aren’t about preparing for failure. They’re about engineering clarity in one of the most complex operating systems: marriage + money + tech.
Bottom Line
If you’re building something in tech — especially in California — and you’re married (or planning to be), it’s time to treat your relationship like you’d treat your startup:
- Get clear documentation.
- Protect your IP.
- Limit future liabilities.
“Postnup California” isn’t just a legal term. It’s your next strategic tool.
Because in the world of billion-dollar exits, messy divorces, and Reddit founder drama, the smartest founders… also lawyer up. 🔐
