The bottom line is, you want a legal separation agreement that will protect you during a separation in case your spouse fails to live up to his/her obligations as outlined in the agreement. You want an agreement that will hold up in court should you have to go to court to have it enforced.
tribÂ·une 1. n. 1. An officer of ancient Rome elected by the plebeians to protect their rights from arbitrary acts of the patrician magistrates.
senate (n.) c. 1200, legal and administrative body of ancient Rome, from Old French senat or Latin senatus highest council of the state in ancient Rome, literally council of elders, from senex (genitive senis) old man, old (from PIE root *sen-old).