Ant £15m woe over pre-nup
TELLY star Ant McPartlin could have halved his possible £30million divorce payout if he had signed a pre-nuptial agreement.
Many celebs thrash out a deal before they wed to protect their cash.
But lawyers say Ant’s decision not to have an agreement will cost him dearly.
He faces losing half his £60m fortune to wife Lisa after they split for good.
In pre-nups some partners insist on a percentage of future wealth, with a quarter a popular figure.
This means Ant could have signed £15m over to make-up artist Lisa rather than the £30m it is now expected to cost him.
Ant, 42, and Lisa, 41, wed in 2006. They got together in 1994 after meeting when they were performing in a pop concert at Newcastle City Hall.
Ant was there as part of PJ & Duncan, while Lisa was in the band Deuce.
Cara Nuttall, a partner at Manchester law firm JMW, said: “The starting point will always be a 50:50 division of all assets.
“As teenage sweethearts, it seems likely that the vast majority, if not all, of their reported wealth has been generated during the relationship.
“It is likely this was a factor in the decision not to have a pre-nup. It would be surprising if Lisa was looking to take anything less than half of the fortune, which will be classed as matrimonial.
“Whilst Lisa has carved out a successful career behind the scenes in TV, it seems likely that the bulk of their wealth will have been earned by Ant, whose career has been much more lucrative.”