My parents always told me to “get everything in writing.” Law school instilled my need to get it right in writing. Such is easier said than done. Family Law attorneys routinely draft, and their clients sign, stipulations in the hopes of carving out a binding, legal understanding of any obligations parties may have toward each other.

A stipulation will be enforced according to its terms unless there is evidence of fraud, duress, overreaching, mistake, or unconscionability. This is so because a stipulation is a binding contract between parties subject to contract construction and interpretation principles.