Online pre-nups rise in US as divorce rate falls

The number of American couples who sign pre-nuptial agreements is increasing as the number of marriages that end in divorce is falling, according to legal experts.

Online law firm Rocketlaywer.com suggests that the fact that the divorce rates is the lowest it has been since the 1970s is linked to the rising popularity of pre-nups, because the legal arrangements actually encourage couples to stay together.

More than one million people have used the services of the firm, created by the Acendi Interactive Company, to create a pre-nup agreement.

Charley Moore, legal commentator for the firm, said: "Professional women and men come to marriages today with more assets, more debt and better communication skills than ever before.

"Premarital agreements help smart couples stay together. It should come as no surprise that today's mature couples are opting to create premarital agreements and that their frank understanding of the financial relationship created by marriage is resulting in happier and longer lasting marriages."

Recent figures released by the US Department of Health and Human Services in its latest National Vital Statistics report reveal that the divorce rate in the US has fallen from 5.3 per 1,000 people in 1981 to 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2005.