Pre-nuptial agreements are currently not legally binding. A judge can consider the contents of the contract, however Irish family law will over-rule any arrangements.

"Any assets you own will fall into the pot to be separated. To put it bluntly, everything is up for grabs," said Burke. "It’s not automatic that everything will be divided on a 50/50 basis. Very often, people will walk away with assets they owned before the marriage. It’s important to remember that.

"However, if one person brings more assets to the marriage than the other person, then it’s more likely to go to a 50/50."

In the case of farmland, it is likely that it will remain undivided if the family, especially children, are provided for in the divorce settlement.

"In a case where there are children involved, assets could be divided or sold," said Burke.

Burke said it is unlikely that this will change, even if pre-nuptial agreements are recognised by law.

"I envisage that the court will have to look at the possibilities in enforcing the terms of an agreement and if it provides for the family, then the court will be bound to comply," she said.

"However, I can’t ever see a situation in Irish law where a judge would not have the power to vary the pre-nup agreement," she added. "I personally can’t see the situation going that far, but I do think legalising pre-nup agreements will bring huge peace of mind and certainty for people going forward."

Read more: Examining the issues around pre-nuptial agreements