Marital Settlement Agreement

When spouses choose to settle their case rather than going to trial, which most spouses do, they enter into a marital settlement agreement. The agreement delineates the terms of settlement on all issues, and is then filed as part of the Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage (divorce).

People often think that by hiring a family law attorney they are choosing to go to trial. Actually, almost every case is settled prior to trial. Hiring a family lawyer gives you the opportunity to come to a fair settlement, thereby avoiding additional attorney fees, but to also clearly understand what the agreement means from a legal perspective. Unrepresented parties often come to agreements, the legal consequences of which they do not understand until they try to enforce what they believed to be the orders. This is an unfortunate outcome, which can be avoided by having a family law attorney guide you through the settlement process, including drafting your agreement.

If you would like to understand more about how best to settle your case, family law attorney Annette Hall Neville provides a free telephone consultation to further discuss this option.