Couples getting married need more support to understand the legal ramifications before they tie the knot, according to a leading family law firm.
The stigma surrounding "pre-nups" still puts many couples off drawing up any agreement before they settle down, yet getting married gives each partner a legal right to a share of the other's possessions and responsibility for certain aspects of their finances.
Now Woolley & Co wants to see more done to ensure couples are fully aware of all their legal rights and responsibilities before tying the knot.
And it has called for pre-nuptial style agreements to be fully legally binding and more common among couples committing to each other.
"There is understandably a stigma surrounding premarital agreements. It can seem incredibly unromantic and, of course, most people think they will never need it," said managing partner Andrew Woolley, who established the firm 11 years ago in Warwickshire and now has nine other offices around the Midlands and Norfolk.
"The reality is though that some figures suggest that nearly 50 per cent of marriages in the UK will break up. Statistics show the number of unmarried couples living together has risen by 65 per cent in the last decade. If the worst then happens, a break-up can be lengthy and costly for all concerned.
"Getting married, or simply setting up home together, does have certain legal implications so it makes sense to look at some sort of formal agreement before doing so.
"This means that, should the unthinkable happen further down the line, both know where they stand, save a lot of money and it helps simplify what is always a heartbreaking experience."
