Judicial Approval Required for Spousal Maintenance Agreements in Separation Proceedings

The court addressed whether agreements regarding spousal maintenance made in separation proceedings require judicial approval, overturning prior precedent to hold that such agreements do, reasoning that the inherent emotional dependency and potential imbalance of power during a marital crisis justify judicial review to protect the weaker spouse, especially where one party might exploit the other's vulnerability, as evidenced in this case where one spouse was financially supported by the state while the other spouse sought to waive maintenance obligations based on a one-sided agreement signed when the other spouse was suffering from mental health issues.