In recent years there has been a marked shift in attitudes towards prenuptial agreements among younger couples, with Gen Z and millennials increasingly viewing prenups as a practical step in planning their future.

Across high net worth and ultra high net worth families, prenups are becoming increasingly normalised, particularly where there is inherited wealth, family businesses or complex financial structures to consider.

Commenting in Tatler, partner Alex Carruthers reflects on how London’s reputation as a leading centre for high-value divorce litigation has influenced this shift.

Alex noted that prenups, once relatively uncommon in England and Wales, are now increasingly expected:

“Requesting a prenuptial agreement used to be a rare sight – normally from couples hailing from countries where such instruments were popular and well-trialled. That is no longer the case. London now has a reputation as the divorce capital of the world and young couples setting out on a life together are being persuaded by their wealthy parents that if they want to live here they need to have the protection of such documents. This trend has been hastened by a new breed of judges who give more weight to prenups, rather than more old-school members of the bench.”

He also highlighted how demand has become more structured within practice, with a clear seasonal pattern emerging:

“They are now so prevalent that there is a prenup ‘season’ – from February to May, as couples add it to their pre-wedding checklist heading up to the wedding date.”

Read Alex’s comments in Tatler here.