The people behind Neptune Legal
Behind every agreement we draft is a belief that clarity brings couples closer. Neptune Legal, P.C. was founded to make the prenup process thoughtful, clear and cooperative, for couples who want to plan ahead together.
Michael C. Cotugno, Esq.
Michael has practiced family law in California for more than 30 years. He spent the first two decades of his career in litigation, where he saw firsthand the emotional and financial toll couples face when key financial issues are left unresolved. That experience changed the direction of his practice entirely.
Today, Michael works exclusively on premarital agreements, postnuptial agreements and mediation. He brings particular depth to complex financial situations, including startup equity, RSUs, stock options and immigration considerations, and he drafts more than 200 prenups each year.
He is known for translating dense legal concepts into clear, practical guidance, and for guiding couples through the process with confidence, care and no unnecessary complexity.
Michael is also the co-author of Beyond the Ring with his wife, Janessa Cotugno, who has also been his paralegal for about 20 years. The book explores the positive side of prenups and how the conversation can bring couples closer.
Janessa F. Cotugno, M.A.
Janessa has worked beside Michael as his paralegal for about 20 years. She is also his wife and the co-author of Beyond the Ring.
She provides client and project management support, bringing clarity and structure to the process so clients can focus on what matters. She handles client communications, scheduling, and document management, and oversees business operations.
Across years of guiding couples, she has seen that the human side of this work matters as much as the legal one: clear communication, steady support, and the feeling of being guided rather than processed.
“A prenup isn’t planning for failure. It’s building with intention.”
Couples who approach a prenup as a shared project, rather than an adversarial negotiation, often come out of the process closer than when they went in. We designed our practice around that belief.
Beyond the Ring: How Smart Couples Use Premarital Agreements to Secure Their Financial Future and Strengthen Their Marriage shows how a prenup can be one of the most honest and connecting conversations a couple ever has. Drawing on more than 30 years in family law, the book explains how premarital agreements work, what your state decides for you if you don’t have one, and how to talk about money, property and the future with openness instead of fear.
The book is co-authored by Michael C. Cotugno, Esq., and Janessa F. Cotugno, who have worked side by side for about 20 years. Both hold an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology, and together they bring a rare mix of legal precision and insight into how couples communicate. The result is a practical, hopeful guide for anyone who wants to start a marriage with clarity, trust and a shared plan.
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Work directly with Michael
Michael C. Cotugno, Esq. is licensed in California. Engage with Michael directly through the Neptune platform. Neptune handles the booking, hiring and intake process to help simplify things for you.
Book a Free Consultation with MichaelWork with a Neptune network attorney
Neptune Legal works with a network of independent attorneys licensed in other states who share our flat-fee, cooperative approach. If you live outside California, book your consultation with a Neptune network attorney at meetneptune.com.
Work with a Neptune Legal Network Attorney