'Increase in pre-nuptial awareness'

Almost half of young people may demand pre-nuptial agreements before getting married, according to research published.

"Prenups" are no longer the exclusive territory of the rich and famous, lawyers said, as research showed 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds would consider them.

Divorcees heading for a second marriage were also likely to make arrangements, with 42% of 45 to 54-year-olds saying they would think about them, according to a OnePoll survey of 1,000 people for law firm Dawsons LLP.

Suzanne Kingston, of Dawsons, said: "Younger men and women are aware that divorce is more prevalent now than it was in their parents or grandparents' time. The media storm around high profile divorces such as Tiger Woods, Nicole Kidman and Katie Price coupled with the effect of the economic downturn, has led to an increased awareness of protecting your assets before getting married."

The research comes ahead of a Supreme Court ruling determining if divorcing couples in England and Wales should be bound by pre-marriage agreements on how their assets will be split.

Nicolas Granatino is challenging his £1 million divorce settlement with Katrin Radmacher, a German heiress said to be worth £100 million.

The law firm is calling for the courts to bring clarity to family law.

Ms Kingston added: "The statistics suggest that the younger generation will no longer be afraid to ask their partner to sign a prenup.

"In the same way, our research suggests that 45 to 54-year-olds, who may have gone through a divorce or knows someone who has, are taking an increasingly more cautious approach to marriage. They recognise that no matter how hard you fight, sometimes a marriage doesn't work. When this happens, it's painful enough without having to fight over who gets what.

"A prenup clearly states how assets should be divided - something this generation with the benefit of hindsight, recognise is valuable."

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