Lawyer in Greensboro, North Carolina
Helping Clients with Legal Separation and Premarital Agreements
If you are considering filing for divorce in North Carolina, you must be legally separated for at least one year. While you are not required to enter into a legal separation agreement, it can help you avoid disputes and litigation later, and make it easier to finalize the divorce, when the time arrives. An experienced attorney can help you understand your options and protect your interests.
At the law office of Nicholas S. Ackerman, we have over 10 years of experience handling family law matters, including legal separation and premarital agreements. While we customarily try to work with opposing counsel and other parties to find mutually beneficial ways to resolve your differences, we will always be an aggressive advocate for you, making certain your long-term interests are protected. For a private meeting, contact our office or call us at 336-402-3131.
Agreements Generally
Why enter into a marital agreement, either before the marriage, during the marriage, or after separation? A marital agreement sets out the ground rules of what happens to stuff, to children, to support, and to the relationship of the parties. It gives each party certain rights, certain responsibilities, and certain benefits. A premarital agreement or a separation agreement is a contract and its terms are binding.
It can be as specific or as general as you need it to be, though a more specific document will protect the parties better. The more agreement there is at the time of signing will mean the less likely it is there will be a problem later on. If there is a problem later on, it becomes a simpler matter of going to Court on a breach of contract, rather than a longer trial that has to first figure out the rights and responsibilities of each party.
Separation Agreements
When you hire us to help you put a separation agreement in place, we will negotiate, review and draft the contract. We know from experience that the agreement can have as much or as little detail as you want. We often see the process as a balancing act: you want enough detail to protect your interests, but not so much that you intimidate your ex-spouse, who may then refuse to sign.
In our experience, separation agreements work best when both parties are involved and willing to talk to each other. A separation agreement can provide significant cost savings to parties who wish not to engage in a drawn out process at the time of divorce.
Premarital Agreements
Betrothed couples never plan on the marriage failing, but an agreement ahead of time can be like an insurance policy against something going irreparably wrong with the marriage. The premarital agreement can help both parties focus on what they are promising to each other when they get married. It can also serve as a list of what is separate property, and what will be jointly owned. There may be property with important family meaning or value that you want to give extra protection to. There may be children from a previous relationship that need added consideration. One party may want to protect their income stream, while the other wants to make sure that they have some level of provision or security if the marriage falters. There may be substantial assets that need to be shielded from rash decisions.
A premarital agreement is inherently sensitive, and we can help in both drafting and presentation.
To set up a confidential meeting, contact us or call us at 336-402-3131. Our office is located in downtown Greensboro, close to the UNC Greensboro campus, and near Blandwood Mansion. We are open Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 am until 6 pm, and Fridays from 8:30 am until 2:30 pm. Evening and weekend appointments are available upon request.
Nicholas S. Ackerman
Attorney at Law
425 Spring Garden Street
Suite 100
Greensboro, NC 27401
Phone: 336-402-3131
Fax: 336-285-0329