The legal standing of pre-nuptial contracts, widely used in Europe and the US, got a dramatic boost in England on Thursday when one of Germany’s richest women won a landmark case in London to protect her wealth from her ex-husband.

Lawyers said the judgment for Katrin Radmacher (pictured below), a paper industry heiress worth an estimated £100m ($164m), would hearten people who have tried to safeguard their assets with written agreements.