The Massachusetts Affidavit of Irretrievable Breakdown is a legal document used to declare that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. It is a required step in the process of obtaining a no-fault or no-contest divorce in Massachusetts. The affidavit is typically completed by both parties in the marriage and must be signed in the presence of a notary public. The affidavit must also be filed with the court in order to begin the divorce process. There are two types of Massachusetts Affidavit of Irretrievable Breakdown: the Joint Affidavit of Irretrievable Breakdown and the Separate Affidavit of Irretrievable Breakdown. The Joint Affidavit is used when both spouses agree that the marriage is broken beyond repair and wish to proceed with the divorce. The Separate Affidavit is used when only one spouse wishes to proceed with a no-fault divorce and the other does not. The Separate Affidavit must then be served on the other spouse in order to proceed with the divorce.