clipped from: www.independent.co.uk   

Lawyers predict couples will avoid a split during the credit crunch, yet many marriages will suffer from financial pressure. Jonathan Owen reports

Catherine Castle and Bryan Powell describe themselves as a 'blended family', with six children between them from their previous marriages

Catherine Castle and Bryan Powell describe themselves as a 'blended family', with six children between them from their previous marriages

Money worries among married couples are likely to cause a drop in UK divorce rates, according to a survey of 70 of Britain's top divorce lawyers
Divorce rates in England and Wales are at their lowest for 26 years, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics

The report predicts that financial difficulties will also fuel the growing popularity of pre and post-nuptial agreements as well as an increase in warring partners trying to hide assets from each other. It also warns that unmarried couples continue to suffer from lack of legal protection.

This survey suggests that lawyers believe they will see fewer couples filing for divorce during the credit crunch