Love, Legacy, and Legal Clarity: Why Every Couple Should Talk Prenups with Yau Lee (Ep. 8)
Bringing up a prenup doesn’t have to kill the romance. It can actually create a stronger foundation.
In this episode, Mark Taylan welcomes back Yau Lee, a family attorney based in San Francisco, to talk about the emotional, legal, and financial aspects of premarital agreements. They discuss how to approach the prenup conversation with compassion, what to avoid, and how planning ahead can strengthen, not hinder, a couple’s relationship.
Yau debunks common myths (like “prenups are only for the wealthy”), offers real client stories, and explains the importance of legal consultation for both parties, especially in second marriages or blended family situations. The episode highlights how early and honest communication about finances and legacy planning can be a sign of trust and commitment, not conflict.
Yau discusses:
- How to bring up a prenup in a way that builds trust instead of breaking it
- What changes when couples bring unequal assets, children, or prior marriages into the equation
- Why each partner needs their own legal counsel and what mistakes to avoid
- How estate planning and divorce protection differ (and why both matter)
- What a successful, respectful prenup process actually looks like from first conversation to signed agreement
- And more!
Resources:
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Connect with Yau Lee
About Our Guest:
Yau Lee is a Partner and Mediator at Nachlis | Cohade | Lopez-Whitaker, LLP. She practices all aspects of Family Law. Though she is a fierce litigator, she finds that it is always a defining moment when she can settle cases without going to trial because she truly believes that it is in the best interest of her client in terms of cost and efficiency. Her dedication to this result has yielded 95 percent of her cases to be settled out of court. Her advocacy happens in the pleadings and negotiations with the opposing counsel. Laying out a thoughtful argument in writing is one of the strongest negotiating tools that she can use to convince the opposing counsel that it is more of a risk to take the case to court.
Yau understands that Family law matters are inherently emotionally charged, and it is important in her approach to not fire up more drama or tension. Emotions won’t get a case heard any better or keep it out of court. Instead, she focuses on how the case aligns with the law and crafts a creative agreement that jointly meets the needs of her clients and the opposing party. Although difficult, she is always honest with her clients about the strategic need to work with the opposing side. Her clients appreciate her strong interpersonal communication skills, responsiveness, and ability to actively listen.
Yau is also an endurance athlete, having participated in more than 10 marathons and six half Ironman distance triathlons. Training for and racing these events has given her the fortitude to remain calm in stressful situations, think on her feet, make predictions, trust the process, and plan for success. Swimming in the open ocean with 14-foot swells or gunning down a hill on your bike at more than 40 miles per hour will give you nerves of steel.
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