About This Template
A Marital Separation Agreement (MSA) is a comprehensive contract that resolves all issues between divorcing or separating parties. This template provides a robust, general framework for drafting an MSA, covering core issues like asset division, spousal support, and child custody. This is an essential efficiency tool that gives family law firms a professional, structured starting point for complex negotiations, ensuring all required legal issues are addressed prior to formal court submission.
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN:
Clio Draft
Microsoft Word
Jurisdiction Notes
The enforceability of a Marital Separation Agreement is highly dependent on the state's family law statutes and case law. Attorneys must customize the template to conform to the state's specific laws regarding the characterization of marital property (e.g., community property vs. equitable distribution), the factors for calculating and modifying spousal support, and the "best interests of the child" standard for custody. This general template must be substantially revised to meet the requirements of the governing state's family code.
What is this template?
This is a comprehensive, legally binding contract between two married parties who are separating or contemplating divorce. The general Marital Separation Agreement template is designed to fully resolve all matters arising from the marriage, including the division of marital assets and liabilities, provisions for spousal support (alimony), and, where applicable, a Parenting Plan detailing child custody and visitation. It is intended to be incorporated into a final divorce decree
Disclaimer
This template and the information on this page are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. They are not a substitute for consulting with a qualified legal professional. The use of this template does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Customize in Clio Draft
Autofill client data
Populate the fields of any legal document template with client and matter details from your Clio account. Reduce manual entry and cut errors.
Clause library
Build a reusable clause library and insert the right language every time. Keep templates current without hunting through old files.
E-signature
Send documents for secure e-signature, track status, and file the signed copy back to the matter automatically.
How to Customize
With Clio Draft
If this template is available in your region, you can activate it in your Clio Draft account. It will then be pre-filled with information from your contacts and matters, helping you save time.
- Click Request Template, and complete the Request Information form.
- Open the activation email to activate the template in Clio Draft.
- In Clio Draft, go to Library and select the Court forms subtab.
-
Select a category to view all the court forms associated with that
category.
- Find the form that you need. You can use the search bar to search by form number or form title.
- Optional: To preview the form, click the Actions dropdown and then select Preview.
- Click the Actions dropdown and then select Create form template.
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At this stage, you can configure any fields on the template that will
remain consistent across multiple matters and specific practice areas.
- Purple fields: These fields are highlighted in purple because they are connected to linked fields that will automatically insert information entered on the Populate page. If you fill in a purple field, the data in that field will always populate when you draft a document from this form template and will not be overwritten by text entered on the populate page.
- Blue fields: These fields are highlighted in blue because they are unique to a specific matter. You will enter this information after you generate the form template, on the Populate page.
For detailed instructions for drafting form templates and more information about Clio Draft, see Clio Draft: Form Templates and Clio Draft: Draft and Manage Documents.
Without Clio Draft
You can download this template as a Microsoft Word document. You can also learn more about how Clio Draft can automate your document workflows and request a demo.
- Click Request Template.
- Open the email from Clio and download the Microsoft Word template.
- Set up Word document templates. This allows you to edit relevant merge fields in the document.