A decade on from the landmark Radmacher-Granatino case, the oft-overlooked prenuptial agreement still has much to recommend itself (as some of London’s top family lawyers will attest).

Katrin Radmacher was the glamorous German heiress worth £100million and her husband (the substantially poorer party), Nicolas Granatino, the French former investment banker (paid £300k-a-year) turned Oxford researcher (paid £30k-a-year).

The prenup the two parties freely entered into ahead of the wedding was given ‘decisive weight’ when the court was dividing up the assets at the time of the divorce.

The court ruled decisively in favour of the heiress (and the prenup); and the decision was upheld to reward the former husband just £5.56 million.

Frances Hughes commented:

‘If you are the financially weaker party you can’t rely on sentiment or chivalry when you divorce. Too many people feel that the pre-wedding generosity will still be there if the marriage breaks down – sadly that’s all too rare.’

Read Frances’ comments in Tatler.