Legal Separation Agreements

Oklahoma City - Edmond

As a law firm that specializes in divorce in Edmond and Oklahoma City, it is not uncommon for us to advise use of a legal separation. In Edmond, legal separation agreements are like those elsewhere in the state in that they allow the parties to live apart without divorcing.

 

A legal separation provides the framework necessary for the division of assets and debts, support alimony, child custody and visitation definitions and property division. Sometimes, a separation agreement is a transition device, which means that a legal separation can become a full divorce or dissolution of marriage action at the discretion of either or both parties.

 

It also enables the couple to reunite in a less complicated manner. For other clients considering divorce in Edmond, separation in Oklahoma City or elsewhere in the state, it provides all the legal tools necessary to define individual needs while providing financial security.

What does a legal separation involve?

Here is what a separation, divorce-bound or not, entails:

• Cessation of accumulation of community or marital property
• Spouse who supports the other financially is entitled to tax deductions for those payments. This can reduce combined tax liability, particularly in higher tax brackets, but only under conditions of a formal separation
• Spouse who receives support must pay taxes on those dollars

Of course, a separation prevents either party from marrying someone else.

Resolving your concerns

Marriage dissolution can be painful anywhere, particularly in a town with a traditional social structure as found in Edmond or in Oklahoma City. Divorce and separation implications matter. Financial security matters. An attempt to preserve the marriage matters. And the workings of religious institutions matter.

Here is how a legal document answers each of these concerns:

• A legal separation provides a structure for spousal and child support that makes it more likely those obligations will be met.
• The couple can consider their lives apart. They can subsequently divorce or reunite, as it often happens.
• As some family’s religious organization goes through its process—often ploddingly deliberative by design—the separation agreement puts a legal structure in place. While religious requirements are met, protections for all family members are ensured.

Obviously, none of these conditions is to be entered into lightly. The process is fraught with emotions and is psychologically challenging with regard to child custody and family finances. For anyone facing marital challenges in Edmond—separation, divorce or other outcomes—the Oklahoma City law offices of Echols and Associates is a smart place to start asking the difficult questions. Contact us today to discuss your legal separation and a to answer any questions you may have.