In the past, prenuptial agreements were often favored by individuals who were marrying for the second time, and had assets from a previous marriage which they wanted to preserve for their children from that marriage. Thus, the couples were typically older and had a significant amount of assets.
Increasingly, probably because many people are marrying later for the first time, prenuptial agreements are also being used by individuals marrying for the first time who have been in the work force for a period of time and have accumulated assets which they do not want to lose in the event of a divorce. In addition, people who have friends who have been "burnt" by divorce may want prenuptial agreements which limit not only the distribution of assets, but also the amount and duration of support which one party can receive from the other.