And they say romance is dead…

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a pre-nuptial agreement made overseas is still valid in Britain — a decision that legal experts say could have far-reaching implications for divorcing couples.

The high-profile case involves German heiress Katrin Radmacher and Frenchman Nicolas Granatino, who married in 1998 and divorced in 2006. The couple signed a pre-nup a few months before marrying and agreed that Granatino would be entitled to nothing should the marriage break down.

Radmacher has assets worth 54 million pounds and is expected to inherit 100 million pounds from her father’s paper industry.

Granatino had originally been awarded 5.9 million pounds, but Lord Justice Thorpe overturned the decision and said that such contracts should be taken into account when dividing assets.

Divorce lawyers say the decision could lead to a rise in the number of pre-nuptial agreements and that the financially disadvantaged party should think very carefully about their rights before agreeing to sign one.

What do you think? Would you sign a pre-nup? Would you ask your partner to sign one?