Glossary

In a dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or annulment, a stipulated judgment will often include a marital settlement agreement (MSA). A marital settlement agreement is a written contract between you and your spouse that contains detailed legal wording about how the issues in your case will be handled. It is usually used when there are complicated issues of property, debt, support, or custody that need to be set out in the judgment.

Mediation is a process which can occur before a case has been filed or at any time during the case. There are two mediation models. In one model only the parties attend the mediation appointments. In the second model, the parties and their counsel attend mediation. The mediator is a neutral party selected by the parties. When parties attend mediation without attorneys, having a Family Law consulting attorney is often helpful to clarify the law, address unanswered questions and provide assistance with understanding proposed settlements. There are a number of different mediation styles, including the directive mediation, the nondirective mediation, caucus or non-caucus mediation.

A person under the age of 18 years.

The courtroom clerk’s written minutes of court proceedings. Copies of the minute orders are usually kept in the case files and the court clerk’s office.

During your divorce or separation, courts may enter orders regarding child custody and visitation rights, spousal support, and other issues. If circumstances change and the order no longer reflects your current reality, the court may be able to revisit the issues and modify the arrangement.