Approved as to Form Law and Legal Definition
Generally approved as to form means that it has been approved to be in proper form. In Divorce decrees, the judgment needs to be approved as to form and content by the parties and their attorneys before becoming final. Both parties should sign the decree, approving it as to both form and substance. This means that the parties have agreed to the terms to the decree.
However, the presence of a party's signature approving the decree does not render the decree an agreed or consent judgment. Also, the phrase "approved as to form and substance," standing alone, is insufficient to establish an agreed judgment.[Durden v. McClure, 281 S.W.3d 137, 140 (Tex. App. 2008)]
“Approved as to form only" signifies only that the written judgment comports with the court's oral pronouncement and does not affect a party's right to seek a new trial. This notation "does not indicate a consent judgment [or] a voluntary relinquishment of the right to appeal." [In re Marriage of Jordan, 264 S.W.3d 850, 853 (Tex. App. 2008)]
