Advisers should discuss prenups with clients

Financial advisers have a unique opportunity to address prenuptial agreements as a routine part of wealth protection. For some, the idea of a prenup is unromantic and conjures images of disaster ahead for the marriage. For others, it is a pragmatic necessity to protect their assets. Recent headlines about megastars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who reportedly signed a 40-page agreement with a $20 million infidelity clause, have brought the topic back into the public eye. While celebrity speculation generates plenty of online comments, the debate raises a more relevant question for financial professionals: should getting married trigger a conversation about wealth protection and financial planning?

Most couples lack basic protection

New research indicates there is considerable scope for advisers to have that conversation. Almost nine in 10 UK couples who are married or in a civil partnership do not have a prenuptial agreement in place. The study estimates this represents 22.7 million people, highlighting what Handelsbanken described as a significant gap in proactive wealth planning. Similar research commissioned by JMW Solicitors found that 44.9% of UK adults believe asking for a prenup is unromantic, while 45.4% believe prenups create a power imbalance.

Only 26.68% of people who said they knew what a prenuptial agreement was could accurately describe how one works. This knowledge gap suggests that many couples are entering legal contracts without a full understanding of their function or benefits. The research also points to a significant lack of awareness regarding the practical steps involved in creating a valid agreement.

Planning for unlikely events

Brett Frankle, partner at Mills & Reeve, said the firm had seen a sharp rise in demand for prenups between April and July over the past five years, coinciding with the summer wedding season. Their rise reflects the increasing recognition of marriage as both a legal and financial partnership, regardless of wealth or status. Frankle said prenups were increasingly being viewed as practical rather than unromantic, with younger professionals and couples with existing assets becoming more open to the idea.

“Prenups are not about expecting a marriage to fail; they’re about creating clarity and reducing uncertainty,” Frankle said. “Their rise reflects the increasing recognition of marriage as both a legal and financial partnership, regardless of wealth or status.” Few couples getting married want to contemplate the possibility that their relationship might end, yet financial planning routinely involves preparing for events that people hope never to happen. Clients take out life insurance without expecting to die prematurely and protect businesses against risks they hope never materialise. A prenup can similarly provide clarity around what happens to assets if circumstances change.

Advisers already treat events such as retirement, inheritance, divorce and the birth of a child as triggers for reviewing a client’s financial plan. Marriage can be just as significant. A client may be bringing substantial assets into a relationship, owning a family business or professional practice, expecting an inheritance or entering the marriage with children from a previous relationship. Their new partner may have a very different financial position. A discussion about a prenup can therefore form part of a broader conversation about how those circumstances should be reflected in the client’s financial plan. The JMW research found that 31% said they had the agreement for peace of mind around financial matters. Other reasons included protecting individual assets, avoiding legal battles and protecting one partner from the other’s debts or financial liabilities.

Protecting a family business or professional practice was another motivation, which could be particularly relevant to entrepreneurs and business owners. Prenups are increasingly common among people entering marriage with assets they had built before the relationship. As more people marry later in life, with the average age now in the mid-30s, many enter marriage with their own homes, higher earnings and existing assets. As a result, prenups are increasingly seen as a straightforward way to protect what individuals have built.

Complex cross-border considerations

Ruben Sinha, family partner and head of JMW Signature at JMW, said wealthy families often had assets and interests across multiple jurisdictions, making the conversation around prenups more complex. “Quite often these families will have assets and interests internationally and across multiple jurisdictions. In those circumstances, the discussion is often less about pressure and more about measured, forward-looking planning,” Sinha said. What matters is that the process is handled openly, sensitively and that both parties obtain specialist independent legal advice.

Frankle added that there was no strict legal deadline for signing a prenup, but 28 days before a wedding had become a commonly cited guideline. More importantly, he said couples needed sufficient time for reflection, financial disclosure and independent legal advice. “Signing too close to the wedding can lead to arguments around pressure or a lack of time to reflect,” he said. The research suggests that prenups remain poorly understood and emotionally difficult for many couples. But there are also signs that attitudes are changing. Frankle said Mills & Reeve had seen growing demand, particularly among younger professionals, while UK searches for “prenup” reached their highest level in five years in February 2026, according to Google Trends data cited by the firm.

The Swift and Kelce coverage may have made prenups a subject of celebrity fascination, but the underlying issue is much broader. Marriage is a major financial event. The adviser does not need to tell a client whether they should sign a prenup. Nor should they stray into legal advice. But they should be comfortable asking whether getting married changes anything about the client’s financial plan. Advisers Urged to Discuss Prenups with Clients. For those concerned about how these agreements interact with broader wealth strategies, Probate trusts speed up family inheritance decisions. Similarly, as market conditions shift, Oil prices climb as Hormuz shipping slows.