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Pre-nuptials: reasons to be careful part 2

Pre-nuptial agreements – harmful or essential? Couples share their experiences

Despite the fact that pre-nuptial agreements are becoming more common in this country, most couples seem to prefer to walk down the aisle before they think about getting divorce.

Gillian Richardson, a 25-year-old student from Newcastle is planning to marry her boyfriend Rob when she graduates in medicine in July. Rob owns a successful dot.com business but hasn’t asked Gillian to sign a pre-nuptial.

‘I know most people have a sceptical view of relationships nowadays but I think when you choose to marry someone you should do so with the belief that it’s going to last forever,’ says Gillian. ‘If you start off by signing a document that prepares you for divorce it’s as good as saying, “I’ll probably fall out of love with you a few years down the line.” It may be necessary if one partner is very rich but I imagine it would cause a strain in the relationship. I think it’s a very American, movie star, thing to do. Our friends would think we were mad if we got a pre-nuptial agreement.’

Jill, 27, from Fife, Scotland, had no idea how much her fiancée, Glen, was worth until he asked her to sign a pre-nuptial agreement a fortnight before their wedding. He wanted her to sign away her rights to the home they were going to live in and his future earnings if they divorced.

‘I couldn’t believe he didn’t trust me. It was like being stabbed in the back. Here was my soon-to-be husband telling me that I had no right to anything if we broke up, even though I had agreed to give up my job and take care of the running of the house. I didn’t care about money so much but the thought of getting turfed out of our home when I wasn’t even working scared me a little.’

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