The number of couples deciding to get a prenup is increasing, with one law firm telling Money it has seen requests double in the last year.
It is estimated that more than 20% of all married couples in the country have signed one of these agreements.
So, what are they, and why are so many of us opting for one? The Money team took a look…
A quick rundown of what a prenup is
A prenup is a legal arrangement made by a couple before they marry or enter a civil partnership, which sets out plans for how their assets should be divided if they divorce or have their civil partnership dissolved.
They are not legally binding, but thanks to a landmark ruling in 2010, courts are expected to uphold prenups that have been entered into freely.
However, courts are still able to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, meaning prenups that appear to have been entered under pressure or written up particularly unfairly might not be given as much weight.
Four reasons why they have become more popular
The landmark ruling
Prenups used to be associated with the ultra wealthy and famous, but after the Radmacher v Granatino ruling, people became more aware of them, Charlotte Lanning from Edward’s Family Law told Money.
After that decision, prenups agreed by celebrity couples made headlines across the country, making them appear “glitzy” and desirable, she said.
“When I was first starting out, I would do prenups on the odd occasion, whereas now we always have a couple on the go each,” the associate solicitor said.
Getting married later
While the ruling was a factor, Lanning thinks the more recent increase in prenups has been driven by changes in society. People are getting married later and are less worried about looking unromantic.
“The fact that people are getting married a lot later in life… means there is more to argue over,” Lanning said, explaining that the older people are,…
