Maybe it's the joy of the season, the warmth of being with family, or all that mistletoe, but marriage proposals peak during the holidays. Roughly 26 percent of grooms-to-be pop the question during November and December, according to Modern Bride magazine.

However, the happy couple should make a New Year's resolution to begin talking about money come January. While marriage is first and foremost about two people sharing love, it is also an economic partnership that will drastically alter the man and woman's financial standings. Most people don't realize how complicated it is until they face big money problems or the marriage ends.

Couples may not realize that the law requires that income and property acquired during the marriage be shared equitably.  Couples should speak about the following key issues:

1. What assets will each person bring into the marriage. Will those assets -- and their appreciation -- be shared? If not, the couple should seek a prenuptial agreement.

2. If one person is in debt, such as credit card, auto loan, or educational loan, will the responsibility for paying the debt be shared? 

3. For two-income couples, consider how it will impact your finances if one spouse stops working to care for a child or elderly parent?

4. How will the other spouse support a spouse who loses a job or becomes disabled? 

5. If the couple chooses to keep separate bank accounts, will they share their financial status with the other?  Will you be comfortable if one spouse is a spender who accumulates debt, and the other is a saver building a nest-egg?

It's not romantic to discuss money before marriage, but it can reduce conflict later on.

This column was written by Lynn J. Maier, a matrimonial attorney and partner at Kurzman Eisenberg Corbin & Lever, LLP in White Plains, NY.