Ten per cent of married Brits regret not signing a pre-nuptial agreement

The stats, revealed by a survey of 1,000 men and women in the UK by OnePoll, found 10.1 per cent of people overall regretted not signing a pre-nup.

The other partner refusing to enter into a pre-marital contract was the biggest reason given for not having one (3.3 per cent).

Others (2.2 per cent) said they were too nervous to ask their partner and not knowing how to go about it was another factor.

Meanwhile 3 per cent said they wanted to get a pre-nup, but simply didn’t know how to go about arranging one.

The data also highlighted a difference of opinion about pre-nups between men and women, with females the more likely to want one.

Overall, 12.7 per cent of women polled regretted not having one, while 7.2 per cent of men said the same.

Until now they have been favoured by celebrities who use a pre-nup to protect their multi-million pound fortunes, should their marriage come to an end. But the contracts are enjoying an increase in popularity amongst everyone else as well.

The survey found there was no ‘type’ of person getting a pre-marital agreement, with people from all backgrounds and walks of life seeking them.

Regionally, London was found to be the epicentre of pre-nup regret. Almost one in five men and women polled rued the decision not to sign one with 8.6 per cent admitting their partner had ‘refused’ to enter into it.

The South West of England was found to be the most trusting and contented region when it came to marriage. Those in East Anglia - 39.8 per cent - were the happiest with not having a pre-nup.

However, the North West has emerged as a pre-nup hot-spot. Roughly one in twenty people have already entered into a contract before getting married.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 42 per cent of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce. It is also estimated that 34 per cent of marriages are expected to end in divorce by the 20th wedding anniversary.

In February 2014, The Law Commission report, ‘Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements’, recommended that pre-marital agreements should be considered legally binding.

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