It is hard to picture a prenup until you see a prenuptial agreement example laid out. While every agreement is tailored to the couple, most follow a similar structure — a set of clear sections that together record who owns what, what stays separate, and how things would be divided if the marriage ended. Here is what a typical UK prenuptial agreement looks like, section by section, and what each part is doing.
A typical structure
- The parties — names and details of both partners, and the intended wedding date.
- Background and intentions — why you are making the agreement and what you both intend it to achieve.
- Financial disclosure schedule — each partner’s assets, income and debts, usually as an appendix (see the disclosure schedule).
- Separate property — what each partner keeps as their own (see joint vs separate property).
- Joint property — how shared assets, including the family home, are treated.
- Debts — who is responsible for what (see pre-marriage debts).
- What happens on divorce — how things would be divided.
- Maintenance — any provisions on spousal maintenance.
- Review clause — when the agreement will be revisited (see the review clause).
- Declarations and signatures — confirming disclosure and advice, and signing as a deed before a witness (see executed as a deed).
What each section is doing
The opening sections (parties, background and intentions) set the scene and record that you are both entering the agreement freely and understand it — the "full appreciation of its implications" a court looks for. The disclosure schedule is the evidential backbone: it proves each of you knew the other’s financial position. The property, debt and divorce sections are the substance — the clauses that actually decide how assets are treated. The declarations at the end confirm the safeguards were met, and the signatures as a deed make it formal. Miss or weaken any one of these and the agreement is more vulnerable (see what makes a prenup invalid).
What makes it work
The structure is only half the story — the content has to be complete and fair. Our guide to what to include in a prenup goes through each part in detail, and explains how these sections combine to give the agreement weight with a court. Keeping the terms fair to both partners is what turns a well-structured document into one that actually holds up.
A word on examples and templates
Seeing an example is useful, but copying a generic one is risky — your agreement needs your real finances and fair, tailored terms. A free template or a DIY prenup often omits the very things that make an agreement stand up. A professionally structured service builds the right framework around your details for a fixed fee (see prenup costs).
A worked example of the terms in action
To make the structure concrete, imagine Priya and Tom. Priya owns a flat worth £280,000 bought before they met, and has a workplace pension; Tom has £15,000 of savings and some student debt. In their agreement, the disclosure schedule lists all of this in black and white. The separate property clause records that Priya’s flat and the pension she built up before the marriage stay hers, and that Tom’s pre-marriage savings stay his. The joint property clause says that a home they buy together during the marriage, and savings they build up jointly, are shared equally. The debts clause confirms each is responsible for their own pre-marriage borrowing. A review clause provides that they will revisit the agreement if they have children. None of this tries to leave anyone short — it simply records, clearly and fairly, what they both intend. That is what a court looks for, and why an agreement built this way tends to hold up (see joint vs separate property).
What a strong example avoids
Looking at what a sound agreement leaves out is as instructive as what it includes. A good example will not contain lifestyle clauses (rules about weight, chores or how often the in-laws visit), because these carry no legal weight and can make the whole document look unserious. It will not try to fix child arrangements or child maintenance, which are always for the court. It will not include an infidelity clause purporting to penalise a partner for an affair. And it will not leave one partner with nothing, because a term like that is precisely what makes an agreement unfair and vulnerable. A realistic example is modest in its ambitions: it protects clearly identified assets and leaves the rest to be shared fairly.
How the sections map to the safeguards
Each part of the document is doing a job that ties back to a legal safeguard. The disclosure schedule delivers full and frank disclosure. The declarations record that each partner had the chance to take independent advice and understood what they were signing. The date and the recitals show it was signed in good time before the wedding, not under last-minute pressure. And the signature block, executed as a deed before a witness, gives it the correct formal status. Seen this way, the "example" is not just a layout — it is a checklist of the things that make a prenup effective, arranged in order.
What a prenuptial agreement example tells you
Looking at a prenuptial agreement example is useful for one reason: it shows you the skeleton — the parties, background and intentions, the disclosure schedule, separate and joint property, debts, what happens on divorce, maintenance, a review clause, and the signing declarations. But an example is only a skeleton; the value is in filling it with your real finances and fair, tailored terms, which is exactly what a generic template cannot do for you.
How long and detailed should it be?
People are often surprised, on seeing an example, by how substantial a prenup is — a well-made one usually runs to several pages of clauses plus the disclosure schedule, rather than a single side. That length is a feature, not padding: the detail is what makes the agreement clear and hard to argue with later. A prenup that is too skeletal — a few vague lines saying each keeps "their own things" — leaves too much open to interpretation, which is exactly where disputes take root. Equally, it should not be padded with irrelevant or unenforceable material; every clause should earn its place. The right level of detail covers each significant asset, says clearly whether it is separate or shared, addresses debts and the family home, and deals with what happens on divorce — no more, no less (see how detailed should a prenup be?).
From example to your own agreement
The natural next step after studying an example is turning it into something real. That means gathering the raw material an agreement needs: a list of your assets, income and debts, valuations where relevant (see how to value assets for a prenup), and a clear sense of what each of you wants to keep separate and what you are happy to share. A useful preparatory step is a prenup checklist and the information needed for a prenup, which turn the abstract structure into concrete inputs. From there, a guided service assembles the sections in the right order, builds in the disclosure schedule, and produces a document in the shape of the example above — but populated with your real details and your fair terms, which is what turns a template skeleton into an agreement that actually protects you (see how to get a prenup).
Reading an example critically
When you look at any prenup example, read it as a checklist rather than a script to copy. Ask of each section: does this reflect our real finances, or generic placeholder wording? Is there a full disclosure schedule for both partners, or just a gesture at one? Are the terms fair to both of us, or do they quietly favour one side in a way a court would question? Does it correctly provide for signing as a deed before a witness? And does it avoid the pitfalls — lifestyle clauses, attempts to bind the court on children, or terms that leave someone in need? An example read this way teaches you what to demand of your own agreement (see what makes a prenup invalid).
Prenuptial agreement example: FAQs
Can I just copy a prenup example?
No — it needs your real finances and tailored terms (see prenup templates: what to watch for).
What does a prenup look like?
A structured set of clauses plus a financial disclosure schedule (see what to include).
How long is a typical prenup?
It varies, but most run to several pages of clauses plus a disclosure schedule — detailed enough to be clear (see how detailed should a prenup be?).
What must a prenup include to be valid?
Full disclosure, fair terms and correct signing are the essentials (see what makes a prenup invalid).
Where can I see a real prenup example?
The outline above reflects a typical structure; a tailored draft built around your own finances is the most useful "example" of all (see how to get a prenup).
What comes at the very start of a prenup?
The parties’ names and details, the intended wedding date, and the background explaining why you are making it (see what to include).
Does the example include the disclosure schedule?
Yes — it is usually attached as an appendix and is central to the agreement holding up (see the disclosure schedule).
Should a prenup example include a maintenance clause?
It can, within limits — a prenup can address spousal maintenance but cannot leave a partner in need (see spousal maintenance in a prenup).
Create your prenuptial agreement online
UK Prenup lets couples in England & Wales create a clear, fair prenuptial agreement online from £199, with your document generated instantly as a PDF. See how it works or get started.
UK Prenup is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. A prenuptial agreement in England & Wales is not automatically binding, and both partners should take independent legal advice before signing.