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What to do when you need to re-open settlement agreements

On Behalf of | Apr 25, 2024 | Divorce |

Settlement agreements are helpful because they can prevent the need to go to court, making the process smoother. However, sometimes during a divorce in Oklahoma, the people involved might miss some issues. If this happens with your divorce settlement, there’s still a chance to fix these problems later.

How to deal with re-opening a settlement agreement

You might think that you can’t re-visit a settlement agreement that’s complete, but this isn’t always the case. If both parties agree that there’s an issue that still needs to be addressed, all they must do is request changes.

It gets to be trickier if one spouse doesn’t agree that there’s an issue that’s important, like asset distribution of an account that they both forgot to include. A joint account almost always will qualify for revisiting the divorce agreement again because the terms outlining how the funds will be distributed should be written in a legally binding document.

Even if one person doesn’t agree to look at the agreement again, it’s not the end of the road. The person who wants to add new terms must prove their position. They need to show what was missed, like assets or debts, and explain why these should be included in the agreement.

Cooperate to make things easier

When revisiting matters, it is best to cooperate with one another. This will make certain that everything gets settled quickly.

The longer it takes to settle a divorce agreement, the more stressful it becomes for everyone involved. Emotions and tensions can run high, and there is the possibility of needing to go to court. Do your part to solve matters to avoid the courts and prolonging the process.