Costello v. Costello

This appeal questions whether a trial court, after having orally approved a settlement agreement of the parties, may modify or augment its terms in the dissolution decree.

After twenty-nine years of marriage the parties appeared before the trial court for the purpose of dissolving their marriage. They informed the court that they had reached an oral agreement with respect to alimony, custody, visitation, child support and division of their jointly owned real property. The terms of their agreement follow. The marriage of the parties would be dissolved on the ground of irretrievable breakdown.…