Yet just as divorce law in most countries now strongly encourages mediation rather than courtroom battles, new for ms of collaborative drafting aim to take the sting out of premarital negotiations.

According to Mr Truex, a rich man should choose his bride from a country with a stingy divorce law, such as Sweden or France, and marry her there.

This, says David Hodson, a specialist in international divorce law, favours the "wealthier, more aggressive, more unscrupulous party".