Consent Order

A consent order is a court order that records terms both spouses have agreed.

In a divorce, it is often used in a joint petition, where the couple has agreed on all ancillary matters such as custody, maintenance and property. The court reviews the terms and approves them before making the order.

Why it matters: once the court makes it, your private agreement becomes a court order. That means it can be enforced if either side does not keep to it.