[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-169999-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-169999-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","separation-agreement-general-instructions-notes-form","Separation Agreement - General Instructions, Notes & Form","","Separation Agreement guidance outlines how married spouses living apart can structure a contract addressing property division, debt allocation, spousal support, and—when relevant—child-related terms. It explains timing and amendment rules: the agreement is not filed by itself, must be written and mutually modified, and becomes enforceable when incorporated into a final court order. The instructions cover required steps before execution, including asset and liability inventories, witness and notarization requirements, and proper attachment to divorce/dissolution petitions.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/separation-agreement-general-instructions-notes-form/169999/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/separation-agreement-general-instructions-notes-form/169999.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Sophia Brooks","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/octet-stream","2026-10-20","2026-09-01",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What issues can a Separation Agreement cover?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It can cover division of property, payment of debts, spousal support (alimony), and child support and custody only if children are involved. The provided guidance notes that if no children are involved, no child-support/custody provisions are included.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Can a Separation Agreement be amended after signing?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Yes. After signing—but before any legal proceeding incorporating the agreement is finalized—it can be amended or modified only if both parties agree and the changes are done in writing.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Does the Separation Agreement need to be filed with the court by itself?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"No. The guidance states it is not to be filed by itself. During a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation proceeding, the executed agreement should be attached to the complaint or petition.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},169999,1788265737,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":141},962084925636,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","SEPARATION AGREEMENT -\nGENERAL INSTRUCTIONS, NOTES & FORM\nSeparation agreements are used by married couples that are living apart and contemplating a divorce.  A Separation Agreement establishes a contractual relationship between a husband and a wife – the contract can cover issues relating to division of property, payment of debts, spousal support (alimony), child support, and child custody if children are involved (since no children are involved in your divorce/dissolution, there are no provisions concerning child support or child custody in this document).  After the Separation Agreement is signed (but before any legal separation, dissolution or divorce proceeding in which the agreement is incorporated is finalized), the Separation Agreement can be amended or modified if both parties agree to such amendment or modification and if the amendment or modification is done in writing.  A Separation Agreement (as well as any amendments or modifications) needs to be signed by both parties and notarized.\nThis Separation Agreement should not be confused with any document that may be required to start divorce proceedings (i.e. a legal separation) – this document is merely a contract for dividing property by and between the spouses.  A divorce/legal separation requires the filing of certain documents with the court whereby the parties specifically ask for an end to a marriage.   While a separation agreement is often used in or as part of a divorce proceeding, this document alone is not intended (nor should it be used as) as the “court document” to initiate a divorce.  Standard Legal Network offers divorce software on its web site that can be utilized for obtaining a divorce.\nA Separation Agreement is intended to specifically provide the details of how the parties shall treat various issues and how the marriage relationship shall terminate (if a divorce is contemplated).\nThere are several steps that should be taken prior to the time the Husband and Wife prepare and execute the Separation Agreement.  These include: Conducting an inventory of all household and family possessions and assets, determining how the assets of the family will be shared or divided between the spouses, conducting an inventory to determine all of the family debt (as well as any debt that my be the sole responsibility of Husband or Wife) and determining how such debt will be paid and by whom it will be paid, determining if one spouse will or should pay monetary support to the other and for how long, etc.  The inventory items described above should be set forth on the accompanying Financial Information Worksheet, and this Worksheet should be as accurate as possible and should contain all or substantially all of the assets and liabilities of the Husband and Wife.  The Worksheet should be prepared by each spouse and then a copy provided to the other spouse.\nAt the time that the spouses enter into a Separation Agreement, the document is NOT to be filed by itself with any court.  However, when a divorce, dissolution or legal separation proceeding is commenced, the executed Separation Agreement should be attached to the complaint or petition that requests a court to grant a divorce (in New York, the Separation Agreement itself must also be filed in the County in which one or both of the spouses live).  The terms of the Separation Agreement are generally incorporated into the final judicial order granting the divorce.  When the Separation Agreement is incorporated into the divorce order, the terms of the agreement become an order of the court and are enforceable by the court.\nBoth the Husband and Wife must sign the Agreement in the presence of two witnesses (the two witnesses can be the same for both sellers – but the husband should not witness the wife’s signature or vice versa).  The witnesses must both sign and print their names where indicated.  The legal description of any real property must be ACCURATELY inserted.  The spouses must also have the Agreement notarized –","cbCaihiyIJ5D6VKU","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihiyIJ5D6VKU","doc",719360,24,"English","# Separation Agreement - General Instructions, Notes & Form\n## Purpose and scope\n## Preparation steps (assets and debts)\n## Execution requirements (signing, witnesses, notarization)\n## Filing and court incorporation guidance\n## Completion instructions and form overview","[{\"question\":\"What issues can a Separation Agreement cover?\",\"answer\":\"It can cover division of property, payment of debts, spousal support (alimony), and child support and custody only if children are involved. The provided guidance notes that if no children are involved, no child-support/custody provisions are included.\"},{\"question\":\"Can a Separation Agreement be amended after signing?\",\"answer\":\"Yes. After signing—but before any legal proceeding incorporating the agreement is finalized—it can be amended or modified only if both parties agree and the changes are done in writing.\"},{\"question\":\"Does the Separation Agreement need to be filed with the court by itself?\",\"answer\":\"No. The guidance states it is not to be filed by itself. During a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation proceeding, the executed agreement should be attached to the complaint or petition.\"}]","Separation Agreement - General Instructions, Notes & Form | DOC",8]