Rule 55 Agreements

If you and the other party reach an agreement in a family court case, it needs to be written down, signed by both people, and turned into an official court order. This makes sure the agreement is legally binding and enforceable.

Sometimes people settle their case on the same day as a hearing, before there's time to write everything up. When that happens, the agreement can be spoken out loud on the court record instead, as long as both parties are there to confirm they agree to it. This spoken version counts just as much as a written one.

If the agreement includes anything about child support, the judge won't just approve it automatically. The court has to hold a hearing to look over those terms and make sure they're fair and follow the law. This step protects children's interests, even when both parents already agree on the support amount.