Give them your heart… not your fortune

MORE TH>N offers customers free prenup and divorce documents as part of its Family Legal Services extension to home insurance, potentially saving customers thousands of pounds in legal fees.

If your beloved pops the question this Valentine's Day, don't be surprised if a legal document accompanies the diamond. Over half of first marriages are ending in divorce and new figures from MORE TH>N insurance reveal that the number of couples taking out prenuptial agreements has increased by almost 500 per cent since June 2002.

Couples are paying up to £1,000 for high street solicitors to prepare their paperwork; but MORE TH>N is offering customers the chance to sort their legal affairs and protect their assets for as little as £18 a year through its Family Legal Services extension to its home insurance policy.

The online, interactive documents are quick and straightforward to use, and can be checked by qualified legal professionals free of charge. All documents can be accessed and updated as many times as a customer wishes, for no extra fee.

You don't have to be particularly well off for a prenup to be worthwhile. It could be a good idea if you are a lot wealthier than your spouse is, if you are expecting an inheritance or an increase in your income, or if you own a business. Not having a prenup could bring unexpected results, especially in the case of second marriages. Your assets could be granted to people you don't expect, such as children from your spouse's previous marriage instead of your own children. If you don't want your financial affairs to be determined by a third party, it might be wise to sign a prenuptial agreement.

This year is set to see a raft of celebrities sign prenuptial agreements. Hotly tipped to announce their engagement shortly, Kate Middleton and Prince William are odds on at 1 to 5 to sign an agreement prior to marriage. Similarly, Jemima Goldsmith is 1 to 4 odds on to ask Hugh Grant to sign on the dotted line, to protect her sizeable inheritance should their relationship progress. Bookmakers are also offering even money on childhood sweethearts Wayne Rooney and fiancée Colleen McLoughlin signing a prenup to ensure fair distribution of their £20m fortune should they split.

The rise in prenups may also be having an effect on the nation's divorce rates. Office of National Statistics figures show an eight per cent drop in the number of couples divorcing. Divorce reputedly cost the country £141 million in legal fees in 2005, but MORE TH> N also offers divorce documents as part of its Family Legal Services offer. Other costly elements to divorce that MORE TH>N's service offers free of charge are changing your will, surname change and property agreements. Altogether this could save customers in excess of £2,000.