The benefits of a separation agreement
Written by our divorce lawyers in Manassas
A separation agreement is a written agreement between two spouses that states how the marriage will be dissolved.
For more than 30 years our divorce lawyers in Manassas have been helping individuals with separation agreements in Prince William, Manassas Park, Gainesville, Haymarket, Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Dumfries, Bristow, Warrenton, Centreville, Fairfax, Stafford, Chantilly, Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Herndon, Reston, Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, and throughout Northern Virginia.
The separation agreement most often establishes the distribution of marital property, retirement accounts, real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles. The agreement can also address child support, child custody, child visitation, spousal support, responsibility for pets, payment of divorce lawyer fees, and so on. Whatever is important to each party can be part of the agreement. That’s why you MUST read and understand the agreement if you and your divorce lawyer are not the ones crafting it.
A Binding Contract
The separation agreement is a binding contract between the parties, and in most cases will eventually be entered by the court as part of the final divorce decree. According to our divorce lawyers in Manassas, this means that if a party does not comply with the agreement once it is a court order, that person risks being held in contempt of court. Therefore, it is very important to make sure you understand your obligations (as well as those of your former spouse) established by any separation agreement you sign.
Separation Agreement Advantages
The advantages of finalizing your divorce by separation agreement are twofold. (1) First, you will spend much less in lawyer fees if you settle the case instead of going to trial. (2) By entering into an agreement you, at the very least, have some input into how the case ends. Even if you have to compromise, that might be better than how a judge would rule in your case.
We feel it is in your best interest to have a divorce lawyer guide you through the process of drafting and negotiating a separation agreement. Our divorce lawyers have drafted thousands of separation agreements over the decades for divorces in Prince William, Manassas Park, Gainesville, Haymarket, Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Dumfries, Bristow, Warrenton, Centreville, Fairfax, Stafford, Chantilly, Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Herndon, Reston, Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, and throughout Northern Virginia.
If you are in need of experienced divorce lawyers who get results, please contact us online or by calling 703-361-0776.
Divorce lawyers in Manassas serving Fairfax, Prince William, Arlington, Manassas Park, Gainesville, Haymarket, Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Dumfries, Bristow, Warrenton, Centreville, Stafford, Chantilly, Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Herndon, Reston, Alexandria, and Annandale.
