My stbx has not yet signed the agreement even though we’ve been apart for 5 monhts. He’s not outright disagreeing with anything, he’s just saying he “doesn’t know how he feels yet” about things even though we had 3 mediation sessions to get our agreement constructed. He said he “might” consult with an attorney.
What do I do to get him to move forward one way or another? Do I have to wait it out or is there a way through the courts to light a fire and get this resolved?
Separation agreements are voluntary. You cannot force someone to sign a separation agreement.
File for E/D and PSS/alimony.
You cannot compel someone to sign a separation agreement.
You can make it very unpleasant for them not to sign and/or negotiate by filing for E/D and the like.
So is filing a claim just a scare tactic or does it actually prompt him to DO something? In my situation, he’s the dependent spouse and we’ve split everything except my 401k. So you’d think he’d file for alimony/PSS and a QDRO. But instead he keeps just threatening this and that and never actually does anything. Just ready to move forward.
Filing a claim for equitable distribution ensures the process will move forward. The court imposes deadlines for document exchange, mediations, and other steps in the process, and eventually will set a trial date in which the judge will decide the property and support issues.