Marital Settlement Agreements

Are You Hoping To Have A Straightforward Uncontested Divorce In Pennsylvania?

No divorce is easy, and disengaging from married life will take some amount of time, effort, and compromise. But some divorces are certainly easier than others, and there are steps you can take to reduce the stress and expense of a drawn-out divorce.

One such legal step is to work out a Marital Settlement Agreement between you and your spouse with the help of an experienced family law attorney.

For Pennsylvania couples, Marital Settlement Agreements are not a required step for a successful divorce, but they can be an essential element of the ideal uncontested divorce. To that end, the family law lawyers at the Greenberg Legal Group are here to help you map out and negotiate your own.

What Is A Marital Settlement Agreement?

Sometimes called a “property settlement agreement”, an MSA is a binding contract signed between two spouses to lay out agreed-upon answers to any number of difficult separation questions. It should cover any of the following that might apply:

• How assets, property (including your home) and debts will be divided,
• A visitation schedule for any children,
• Child support payments (which must be at or above the Pennsylvania minimum),
• Spousal support (alimony) amounts,
• What will happen with health insurance, life insurance, pension plans and other funds,
• How current and future tax issues will be settled,
• How future disagreements or modifications to your MSA will be settled.

In Pennsylvania, this document is the closest you can get to a legal separation (a category that exists in many states, but not here) as it lays out a mutually agreed-upon plan for the division of your common life, but does not require you to be divorced or even live apart.

However, if you wish to get divorced, a Marital Settlement Agreement is an excellent starting point as it can be integrated into your divorce, saving you time, stress and cost when pursuing an uncontested divorce. Which is why the family law attorneys at the Greenberg Legal Group often encourage couples seeking a divorce to work on an MSA.

The Greenberg Legal Group: Your MSA And Uncontested Divorce Lawyers

Here at the Greenberg Legal Group, we prioritize compassionate yet effective legal solutions to family law problems and conflicts. As such, we are always looking for ways to simplify processes like divorce and put you in control of the goals and outcomes.

Marital Settlement Agreements are a great example of the kinds of tools that can help you do just that. Rather than argue over each aspect of your divorce in a Pennsylvania court, you can work out the details on your own, or with the help of a mediator and attorneys, then simply have the court approve them during the formal divorce procedure.

As your family law attorney, Robert Greenberg or another member of our team of experienced family law attorneys can help you draft the Marital Settlement Agreement, review one before you sign, or help you integrate or modify an existing one through the divorce process.

Set Yourself Up For A Smooth Uncontested Divorce

For couples who are looking to secure a divorce in Pennsylvania, a Marital Settlement Agreement shows the court that you are already working together to secure fair outcomes that you can both agree to. This is the key element in an uncontested divorce, which is far shorter and cheaper to obtain than a contested divorce.

However, the court will still need to review your MSA before adopting it, to ensure it is fair to both parties and follows the relevant Pennsylvania statutes.  As a result, it is important that you work with an attorney during the MSA drafting process to avoid mistakes that might read as red flags by a judge.

In addition to following the law and complying with key rules and standards, a family law attorney will help you and your spouse:

• Take into consideration aspects of the legal separation you might not have thought to include.
• Reach compromises on emotionally charged or stressful topics.
• Come up with creative solutions for asset division that preserve key businesses or properties while still meeting Pennsylvania’s equitable division standards.
• Fully understand the agreement and its consequences before signing, to avoid later conflicts.
• Know what to expect from the divorce process, including questions judges are likely to ask and the documents you should bring to back up your MSA when seeking the divorce.

Regardless of whether you want to include an MSA as part of your divorce or need it to formalize a separation, Greenberg Legal Group can offer guidance and experienced, caring advocacy at each step.

Call Today To Take The First Step Toward Your MSA And Uncontested Divorce

Whether you are just starting to consider a divorce or have already drafted your MSA and want it reviewed by an experienced family law attorney, the Greenberg Legal Group can help. It will be our privilege to guide you through the uncontested divorce process in Pennsylvania or set you up with a comprehensive and fair MSA.

If you live in Chester, Montgomery, Bucks or any other Pennsylvania County, you can call (610) 460-0135 or reach out to our team online to set up a consultation to begin the MSA process and take the first steps toward the next chapter of your lives.