Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA)

A Marital Settlement Agreement outlines the terms of the divorce (see below) and any other matters surrounding the divorce. Filing a Marital Settlement Agreement is not mandatory in all courts, but highly recommended in uncontested divorce cases for the following reasons:

• It allows the court to process your divorce quicker and easier.

• It is legally binding (including all the terms of divorce listed in the MSA).

• If filed properly, usually only one spouse has to attend the final court hearing.

You can file an MSA at any time during the divorce process and we can help you do it right.

What is included in a Marital Settlement Agreement:

MARITAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT OUTLINE   AGREEMENT SECTION (information about the spouses ...) PURSUANT TO FAMILY CODE SECTION ####: (list of laws and codes...) LEGAL STATEMENTS (introduction to the agreement and terms of the agreement...) CHILDREN REAL ESTATE PERSONAL PROPERTY BANK ACCOUNTS DEBTS TAX LIABILITY LIFE INSURANCE HEALTH INSURANCE SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD SUPPORT LEGAL NAME FINAL AGREEMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CHOICE OF LAW CERTIFICATE OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF NOTARY PUBLIC

That is just a sample outline of an MSA. Marital Settlement Agreements vary from state to state and sometimes even between counties within the same state. An actual Marital Settlement Agreement is approximately 20 pages long. We can help you prepare a Marital Settlement Agreement as part of our Online Divorce Service at no additional cost.