A divorce settlement agreement is a contract. Divorcing parties create it in order to capture the specific terms and conditions they wish to agree to at the time of their divorce. Because divorce is an untangling process, dismantling the structure of a marriage, divorce settlements are a way a couple can agree about how they want to handle their belongings, debts, property, children, pets, inheritance, or any other issues or items they wish to discuss and agree upon, rather than simply waiting for a court order telling them what to do.
A divorce settlement agreement may cover everything that a couple needs to address, or it may be a partial settlement of issues they agree on. Divorce settlements are sometimes very long to ensure specific details are outlined carefully. These can be items such as what will happen with a marital residence, or how a couple wants to establish future parental relationships with their children.
In most states, attorneys and mediators can help craft a divorce settlement agreement or at least portions of it. It is an agreement indicating a couple has reached resolution, and it is usually a document that can be filed with the local court to settle a divorce case.
