'Don't wait until you want revenge' - why prenups are on the rise
Prenuptial agreements are rising sharply among younger couples in the US and UK, driven by later marriages, inheritance concerns, and cheaper online legal services.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Prenups are no longer just for the ultra-wealthy. Younger couples in the US and UK, especially millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly signing prenuptial agreements, fueled by the Great Wealth Transfer, later marriages, and accessible online platforms that cut costs from thousands to around £1,600.
Imagine two people getting married and agreeing now, while they're happy, how to split things if they ever split up. It's like writing the rules of a board game before you start playing, so nobody gets upset later. More young couples are doing this even when they're not rich, because it's smarter and cheaper than ever.
Analysis
The Great Wealth Transfer Reshapes Marriage
The single biggest economic driver behind the prenup boom, according to the article, is what wealth managers call the Great Wealth Transfer — the unprecedented handover of assets from baby boomers to their children and grandchildren. Julia Rodgers, cofounder of HelloPrenup, argues this is changing what young couples have at stake. Rather than arriving at the altar with little more than student debt, many under-35s now arrive with property, business stakes, or expected inheritances that need protecting. In the UK, Becca Gibson's expectation of inheriting a significant amount of property from her parents is precisely the kind of asset that prompts a prenup conversation. For parents, the prenup has become a tool to ring-fence inherited wealth before it enters the marriage pool.
Legal Tech Cuts the Cost of Going Prudent
Price has historically been a major barrier — a traditional UK solicitor might charge around £5,000 for a prenup, as Dave Howells initially expected to pay. New online platforms like Wenup have slashed that to a fixed fee of £1,600, while US online services can charge just a few hundred dollars. The article frames this cost compression as a key reason prenups have moved from niche to mainstream. London lawyer Mark Gilmartin at JMW Solicitors notes that the billionaire-and-barmaid stereotype is fading, replaced by start-up professionals and ordinary couples. The legal services industry appears to be following a familiar disruption pattern: a semi-automated product targeting everyday consumers who previously could not justify the cost.
Stigma Fades as Millennials and Gen Z Lead
The cultural shift is generational. Nearly half of married US millennials and more than one in three Gen Z report having a prenup, compared with about one in five married couples overall. In the UK, around one in three married under-35s have signed one, according to surveys cited in the article. The article attributes this to several factors: people marrying later, often in their 30s, with accumulated assets and debts; having witnessed their parents' divorces; and a willingness to discuss money openly. Mark Gilmartin frames prenups as attempts to protect the fruits of what is going to be, rather than what is. Critics have historically argued prenups limit women's rights, but Rodgers argues the new generation benefits from clarifying financial terms up front rather than fighting them out later.
Key points
- Nearly half of US married millennials and more than one in three Gen Z report having a prenup, versus about one in five married couples overall.
- In the UK, around one in three married under-35s have signed a prenup, according to surveys cited in the article.
- Online platforms like Wenup charge a fixed £1,600, compared with around £5,000 through traditional UK law firms; some US services charge only a few hundred dollars.
- Lawyers attribute the surge to the Great Wealth Transfer, later marriages, and couples wanting to protect inherited property and other assets.
- Demand has shifted from billionaire clients to start-up professionals and ordinary couples, often motivated by parents ring-fencing inheritances.
Open financial conversations before marriage could reduce the cost and emotional toll of divorce litigation, while cheaper online platforms make legal protection accessible to middle-income couples who were previously priced out. If prenups become normalized, families may find it easier to pass wealth across generations without it being absorbed by a son- or daughter-in-law's creditors or ex-spouse.
Critics have long argued prenups can entrench wealth disparities, particularly when one partner owns property or expects a large inheritance. There is also a risk that prenups encourage a transactional view of marriage, or that cheaper online templates fail to capture the nuances of complex family situations, leading to disputes later. For less-earning spouses, the article notes, a court-determined settlement might sometimes produce a better outcome than a hastily drafted agreement.
