When couples separate they often wish to reach a clear agreement concerning property, finances and arrangements concerning children even if, in the case of married couples, they do not wish to divorce. A Separation Agreement is an extremely useful way of achieving a large degree of certainty between the parties without involving the courts at all and can provide for the agreed sale of the house, distribution of proceeds, maintenance and any number of other matters; even what should happen with family pets (a surprisingly common and difficult problem)

Separation Agreements are also beneficial to separating unmarried couples to provide the same certainty with regard to these issues, particularly as unmarried couples rights are often more difficult to establish.

It is very important before any Separation Agreement is prepared, for the parties to fully and frankly disclose to the other details of their financial position. This is known as financial disclosure. This ensures that both parties are fully aware of the overall position before agreeing to anything.

In cases where couples substantially agree matters and all that is required is for financial disclosure to take place and a Separation Agreement prepared, costs are likely to be between £200 to £400. However, if considerable negotiations are required to achieve agreement a likely estimate of costs would be between £500 and £750 each.