Does the thought of tying the knot give you cold feet? Has that pesky “seven year itch” come a few years early? If so, divorce insurance may be just what you need.

The Safeguard Guaranty Corporation plans to offer divorce insurance–or marriage insurance, as some people like to think of it–to dubious lovebirds in early 2010.

What’s the big idea behind it this seemingly crazy form of insurance? To ease the tremendous financial burden on the insured divorcee should the marriage bottom out.

Here’s how it works: Consumers choose between $20,000 and $2 million in divorce insurance and, if the marriage fizzles and the couple gets a divorce, the policy pays out. The divorce benefit increases over time, so couples who stay married longer and then divorce will receive significantly more than consumers whose marriage ends abruptly.

John Logan, CEO of Safeguard Guaranty Corporation, estimates the worldwide market for divorce insurance to be nearly $200 billion. He says that marriage insurance allows couples to “invest in themselves”–isn’t that what a joint checking account is for?

The minimum amount of coverage offered, $20,000, will cost about $30 per month. It’s a bit pricey, but if your annual anniversary dinner tends to devolve into a no-holds-barred screaming match, that money may turn out to be a great investment.

I’ll end the post with a little black humor: “Why does divorce cost so much? Because it’s worth it!” Zing!