"I found The Master Agreement for Separation and Divorce to be very comprehensive and detailed. The tremendous amount of work, time and effort devoted to its preparation is obvious. I feel that it will be an invaluable aid to lawyers and mediators who may be starting in the area of domestic relations. It will also be a fantastic template and check list for experienced domestic relations attorneys and mediators.
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Terry Beverly, O. Terry Beverly, Attorney at Law
"I must commend [Jay] on this concise, well written, comprehensive and very user-friendly manuscript which I envision to soon be part of every South Carolina family lawyer’s library. "
Catherine S. Hendrix, Lester & Hendrix LLC
"…[A]s I have come to expect and appreciate from [Jay], [his] forms are extremely thorough and concise. [His] “practice notes” are extremely helpful, and being able to access forms via CD makes this product very “user friendly.”
K. Douglas Thornton, Thornton Law, LLC"
A clear, unambiguous and specifically customized agreement for separation or divorce may take more time to write, but the benefits to the parties are enormous. Agreements are ignored when clients are getting along but when they run into the inevitable conflicts, a well-written agreement is essential. Clients should have set, easy-to-understand guidelines that provide clear direction. The professional’s job is to create a user-friendly agreement that is specific to each couple’s unique needs and addresses not only the usual but the unusual situations that can arise down the road. While agreements create a framework and plan of action for the end of a marriage, they often create new obligations as well. To create certainty related to these new obligations, agreements must be comprehensive and well-constructed. To that end, having the right tools and resources to work with is essential.
A master form is an excellent tool for guiding the parties through all of the relevant issues in a logical order while keeping the parties – and the professional – on task. With such a tool it is easy to designate any issue as “undecided” and come back to it later without it being forgotten. A master form will present various options for each issue, invite exploration of alternatives, and provide a thorough discussion of the specifics of each issue.
This Master Agreement is that tool!
With more than 100 pages, this unbelievable resource will help you create a comprehensive agreement on every issue from A to Z in your separation and divorce cases. Organized logically into issues, subjects and then topics, the Master Agreement provisions include: separation and support of the parties and an adjustment of martial rights and duties; a parenting plan covering custody, child support and protection issues; division of property; allocation of debts and liabilities; and, administrative and housekeeping provisions. Within each section alternative options are listed so that you may pick and choose those provisions most applicable to your case.
This Master Agreement document may be used as a binding contract or simply as a memorandum of understanding. The package comes complete with a cover page, table of contents, a comprehensive agreement, acknowledgements page, and certificates of counsel and guardian.
This Master Agreement will save you time (quick document assembly and practice notes), money (for you and your client), and grief (don’t reinvent the wheel with each new agreement)!
This Second Edition carries on the mission of providing the “go-to” resource for practitioners to create comprehensive, clear and unambiguous agreements for divorcing couples and parents. With many new provisions, more options, expanded coverage on certain major issues, and more practice notes, this book should have it all covered from A to Z. It serves as a checklist of issues, an encyclopedia of options, as well as a master form template. And, it is all modifiable by you to suit your particular needs and style.
Jay M. Bultz