It remains powerful by itself and a divorce can follow in time or not at all. In some cases the separation agreement is enough and couples will get back together or stay married but also separated.

Sometimes an agreement is filed with the court when a divorce is processed. Other than that, it is only filed or registered with the court if one party breaks the agreement and the other needs to ask the court to enforce it. Filing it with the court does not make it legal, signing it does. But it has to be signed correctly.

In some provinces certain terms of the agreement are not enforceable unless each spouse receives independent legal advice (from a lawyer) prior to signing it or at least signs a waiver of independent legal advice which is witnessed by a lawyer. It is always a wise move to spend a little extra to have a lawyer go over your agreement with you before you sign it.

Be sure to have your spouse get independent legal advice as well. If they do not get it, they can ask the court to overturn it because they did not understand what they were signing.

The care and financial support of children, spousal support, and division of property and debt. These are the main issues that need to be taken care of in a separation agreement. If you do not have one or any of these issues to deal with then the agreement will be easier to make.

So the essential things to keep in mind are: 1. to understand what a separation agreement can and cannot do; 2. to make sure that it is signed correctly after receiving independent legal advice; and 3. to make sure it deals with the important issues of children, income and property.