VAL COWAN'S WEB WORLB

LADIES - if you are thinking of popping the question to your man on February 29, you might want to check out Desktop Lawyer first.

The online legal service - which already offers online divorce documents - is now offering pre-nuptial agreements.

The agreement costs £29.99 and allows couples to reach a financial agreement before marrying, and therefore ensure that it is only their hearts they are giving away at the altar.

The agreements are not yet legally binding in Britain but are becoming increasingly popular in the US and in other parts of Europe. The latest celebrity couple to allegedly sign on the dotted line is Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones.

They are most commonly used among the rich, and by couples where there is a big difference in wealth between the bride and groom. But they can also be useful when those concerned run the risk of losing family assets and inheritance.

Desktop Lawyer spokesman Richard Cohen said: "We predict that over the next 10 years, 20 per cent of UK couples will be using pre-nuptial agreements.

"So while this service is not yet legally binding in this country, there is little doubt that pre-nuptials will continue to gain popularity and recognition on both sides of the Atlantic."

While not legally binding, pre-nuptial agreements have been discussed as part of planned reforms to the divorce laws.

Mr Cohen added: "I must stress that we are not trying to mislead anyone.

"The Desktop Lawyer pre-nuptial agreement will simply allow people to make a record of their financial circumstances before marrying, and under current law a judge may or may not decide to take notice of this." Which? way to shop safely

A SCHEME set up to make internet shopping safer has attracted the support of more than 400 traders since its launch last summer.

And now it is set to expand, thanks to a grant from the European Union.

Companies which sign up for the Which? Web Trader scheme have to promise to abide by the Which? code of practice, which should ensure a fair deal for consumers.

If a customer does lose out because someone misuses their credit card details, Which? will reimburse the first £50 lost, with the credit card company liable for the rest.

Registered traders display a special logo on their websites and regular checks are made by Which? to ensure the companies are sticking to the rules. The scheme has just been awarded a grant of £250,000 from the EU to develop and expand over the next two years.

Similar initiatives in Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, France and Italy have also received money.

Alan Stevens, editor of Which? Online, said: "This recognition by the EU will allow us to develop and progress the success off the WWT scheme and similar initiatives across Europe.

"When consumers see the Which? Web Trader logo on a site they can be confident that Consumers' Association has checked the company's legitimacy and that all Which? Web Traders' sites are safe and secure."

http://www.which.net/webtrader Perfect mix

BAR One is a website dedicated to the art of mixology - or mixing the perfect drink.

The site tells you how to stock the perfect bar, what equipment you will need and gives you a long list of recipes to try.

http://www.stas.net/bartending/ Murder file

HOW many people have been executed in Britain since 1900? And for what crimes were people hanged?

These questions are answered by Murder File, a new website aimed at fans of "true crime" stories.

The site contains lists of people executed in each year from 1900 to 1964, as well as details of how many were women, what crimes they had committed and which prisons the executions were performed at.

Unfortunately the bare statistics do not mean an awful lot. I would like to see the site widened to include more information about individual cases and some debate on the controversial topic of capital punishment.

http://www.murderfile.co.uk Hard rock

THE Craven and Pendle Geological Society has a new online home.

It's an excellent site for those who love all things rock-related.

http://www.cpgs.org.uk New career

MORE and more jobseekers are turning to our website, This is Lancashire, for help in finding a new career.

So far this month we have had nearly 30,000 requests for job adverts.

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk

SEEN something interesting on the web? Send an e-mail to vcowan@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

Check out our website - http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.