Marital Settlement Agrement (MSA)
for Stipulated Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage in Oregon
When you hire divorce mediator Matthew House to mediate part or all of your divorce, separation, or modification, there are two components to those services. First, of course, you will have in-person mediation sessions with your spouse (or former spouse) and Matthew to resolve the outstanding issues and questions related to your divorce. Following those mediation sessions (usually two or three meetings of two hours each, for a standard divorce mediation from start to finish), Matthew will compose a written summary of the agreements you and the other party made in mediation. That written summary is called the Marital Settlement Agreement, or the MSA, and it is very comprehensive -- typically 20 to 40 pages of double-spaced text.
Every decision relating to child custody, parenting time, asset division, debt division, division of household goods, child support, spousal support, and all other matters discussed and agreed in mediation will be in the MSA. Matthew will ensure that the report contains the appropriate level of detail for each decision, so that the family court judge who will review the documents to create what some would call a divorce decree (in Oregon, the proper terms you will see or hear in legal circles are "stipulated judgment" or "stipulated general judgment of dissolution of marriage") can do so without confusion or delay.
Matthew generally bills the MSA fee as a flat fee of three and one-half hours of time, and it includes the drafting time and one round of revisions. If there are mistakes, Matthew will correct them free of charge.
The MSA becomes binding on both parties once it is signed by both parties or is included as part of a judgment or order (issued by a judge).
Every decision relating to child custody, parenting time, asset division, debt division, division of household goods, child support, spousal support, and all other matters discussed and agreed in mediation will be in the MSA. Matthew will ensure that the report contains the appropriate level of detail for each decision, so that the family court judge who will review the documents to create what some would call a divorce decree (in Oregon, the proper terms you will see or hear in legal circles are "stipulated judgment" or "stipulated general judgment of dissolution of marriage") can do so without confusion or delay.
Matthew generally bills the MSA fee as a flat fee of three and one-half hours of time, and it includes the drafting time and one round of revisions. If there are mistakes, Matthew will correct them free of charge.
The MSA becomes binding on both parties once it is signed by both parties or is included as part of a judgment or order (issued by a judge).