Premarital agreements are also commonly referred to as prenuptial agreements, or prenups. They are executed before the marriage and contain provisions that will go into effect in the event of divorce or death. Prenups generally cover property distribution and spousal support; child support and child custody are not included in a prenup, as they are decided on a case-by-case basis and must be in accordance with the New York Child Support Standards Act.
Premarital agreements can only be signed before the marriage; if parties want to enter into such an agreement after their marriage has been consummated, they can enter into a postnuptial agreement.