Separation Agreements

Separation Agreements are agreements that constitute a negotiated contract between the parties relating to all issues in the case such as custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, division of all assets including retirement accounts, thrift plans and stock options, and anything else that constitutes marital property. There must first be an understanding by the client as to what marital property is. Marital property generally is that property which is acquired during the marriage. There is a complicating factor sometimes in that property which was a party’s separate property, owned prior to the marriage, such as a house or a retirement account, can become part marital property if there were contributions made during the marriage which would then cause the separate property to become part separate and part marital property. Having an experienced attorney knowing how to look at the property and obtain the necessary documentation from the other party in order to prove your case in court is essential in a large property dispute.