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GAZETTE
March 1976
SOCIETY OF YOUNG SOLICITORS
1 lie 21 st Seminar of the Society of Young Solicitors was
held in the Great Southern Hotel, Galway, on Satur-
day 15 th and Sunday 16th November 1975 and
attracted an attendance of 230 members.
Hie first paper was given on Saturday morning by
Mr. Bryan McMahon, LL.M., Lecturer in Law, Univer-
sity College, Cork, on The Right of Establishment in
the European Community. It is hoped to publish a
summary later.
1 he second lecture on Saturday was delivered by
Mr. Michael O'Mahony, LL.M., Solicitor, on The
Drafting of Separation Agreements. The lecturer
emphasised that a separation agreement was essentially
one between a husband and wife to live separate and
apart from one another. The House of Lords decided in
Wilson v. Wilson (1848) that an agreement for separ-
ation between spouses was not illegal and since then,
separation agreements are not uncommon. McMahon
v. McMa hon (1913) 1 I.R. 432, per Palles C.B., held
tha t an agreement entered into between a husband and
wife, while living separate and apart, providing for
their resumed cohabitation, and that, in the event of a
future separation, provision should be made for the
wife, was valid and enforceable. Galloway v. Galloway
(1914) 30 T.L.R., held that a separation agreement
entered into on the assumption that the parties were
validly married when in fact the marriage was (un-
known to each party) bigamous, was itself void for
mistake.
As regards the common terms in Separation Agree-
ments, apart from the respective names of husband and
wife, it is essential to state the date and place of the
marriage. The following term is then essential : —
L
T
nhappy differences have arisen between the husband
and the wife, and they have agreed to live apart from
each other. The husband has agreed to make provision
for the wife on the terms and conditions herein con-
tained. If there are children, their names and dates of
birth should be given. By the non-molestation clause,
the parties contract to live separate and apart from the
marital control of the other, and neither of them shall
molest, disturb or interfere with the other or his or her
relations, friends or acquaintances, or in his or her
profession or business. There is also a maintenance
clause for the payment of a stated amount to the wife.
1 he wording setting out the extent of the husband's
liability for maintenance is vital. If the covenant can
he construed as an independent undertaking, then
maintenance payments could be continued even after
the husband's death. The maintenance agreement is
one normally to last during the wife's life, and would
be enforceable against the husband's personal repre-
sentatives if he should predecease her. There are some-
times clauses affecting either a change in the husband's
income, or further payments due to inflation. Nor-
mally the maintenance agreement will cease in the event
of a judicial separation between husband and wife.
It is also possible to insert a
"Dum casta'
clause by
which maintenance payments will be terminated if the
wife openly and notoriously cohabits with another man
ns husband and wife.
As regards clauses relating to the custody and main-
tenance of children, S. 18 (2) of the Guardianship of
Infants Act, 1964, provides that either the father or
the mother may give up the custody and control of the
infant to the other. If the wife is given custody of the
eluldren, it is usual to provide that the husband should
have access to them, and that he should pay periodical
sums to the wife by way of maintenance for them.
In consideration of this, it is common for the wife to
undertake to be fully liable for educating and main-
taining them up to 18 years of age. If the covenant to
maintain the children is not carefully framed, the hus-
band may find himself liable on the covenant, not-
withstanding a subsequent resumption of co-habitation,
or that the children have attained their majority. The
husband should also ensure that in consideration of the
maintenance agreement, lie should receive an indem-
nity from the wife against debts incurred or to be
incurred by her on her own or the children's behalf.
The husband's right to access should also be defined
in accurate detail (precedent supplied in lecture).
As regards property, if the husband and wife own the
matrimonial home as joint tenants, and, as is most
usual, the wife and young children are remaining in the
home and the husband is leaving, it is usual for the
husband to bind himself to continue the mortgage
repayments, rates, ground rent, and insurance over
and above the maintenance payable. The wife should
ensure that, in the event of the husband being sole
owner, the mortgagee should notify the wife of repay-
ments made so that he cannot enforce ail order of
sale of the matrimonial home without her knowledge.
It is sometimes advantageous to sell a large rambling
house, and acquire a modern one, even if the property
is in the joint names of husband and wife. Disputes
often arise between the parties as to whether the furni-
ture and other moveables belong to the husband or
wife, but S. 20 of the Family Law Bill, 1975, intends to
provide that any property acquired out of a household
allowance, will, the absence of agreement to the con-
trary, belong to husband and wife jointly. It is a com-
mon practice, since the Succession Act, 1965, came into
force in 1967, for all separation agreements'to contain
a mutual renunciation of each spouse's right under S.
INCORPORATED LAW SOCIETY OF IRELAND
THE
SUMMER MEETING
OF THE SOCIETY
will be held in
Mount Brandon Hotel,
Tralee, Co. Kerry
7th - 9th May, 1976
Programme and Registration Forms
available from the Society
33