When you and your spouse choose to go through a no-fault divorce or a dissolution of marriage, it is generally advisable to complete a settlement agreement or separation agreement. While it may not be specifically required if you and your spouse have no children, assets, property or debt together, it is always a good idea to get everything down in writing before you go through the divorce or dissolution process.
The settlement or separation agreement is a document that lays out exactly what will happen in the event of your dissolution or separation. In the process of the dissolution of marriage, it is an important component of a painless, cheap and quick divorce. By taking the time to sit down with your spouse and map out exactly who will get what when the marriage ends, you demonstrate to the court and to each other that you are serious about ending the marriage with as little conflict as possible.
In the settlement or separation agreement you will state explicitly who gets what property, assets, debts, business interests, child support and spousal maintenance. All issues that could possibly come into play after the marriage is dissolved should be addressed as fully as possible. The better the settlement or separation agreement, the less you or your spouse have to worry about problems after the marriage ends.
When you choose to file for a dissolution of marriage, the court will determine a hearing date withing 30 to 90 days of your filing. At this hearing you will need to testify that you and your spouse are still satisfied with your settlement or separation agreement, that you still want to go through with the dissolution and that you were not coerced into anything. Once the court verifies that all of this is true, you can expect the state of Ohio to end your marriage. You can also expect to abide by the agreements you made for as long as they are applicable.
