A couple lives apart during legal separation but with a court order mandating their duties and legal rights. These include financial support, child custody, and property division. When a couple wants to end a marriage legally, they seek a divorce order.
Even though legal separations are rarer than divorce, couples whose religious beliefs are against divorce prefer them, as do couples who feel they may reconcile. Additionally, legal separations allow couples to maintain tax and insurance benefits.
Legal separation vs. divorce? What’s the right choice for you? These are the most important considerations for deciding:
1. Personal Considerations
Navigating legal separation or divorce involves legal aspects and personal considerations that can significantly impact individuals and families. Here are some common personal considerations:
Beliefs
Legal separations are preferable to divorce when one or both partners have personal or religious beliefs that rule out divorce. A legal separation allows them to remain legally married but live apart without committing to a divorce.
Time to Reassess The Marriage
Couples may decide on a legal separation instead of divorce because they want to end the marriage. A legal separation allows couples a “cooling off” period to determine if they can repair their marriage. It’s easier for a couple to get together after a legal separation than to remarry after a divorce.
Decision-Making
States consider a separated couple to be next of kin, allowing spouses to make medical or financial decisions for each other. After a divorce, the spouses are no longer next of kin.
Marital Status
Legal separation allows spouses to keep their marital status, meaning they cannot marry anyone else unless they divorce. However, they can date someone else.
Emotional Well-Being
Both a legal separation and divorce can take an emotional toll on both parties.
Support groups and therapy can help, but so will clear communication to help alleviate any misunderstandings.
Couples must also consider the emotional well-being of their children. They should minimize conflict in their presence, reassuring them of their love despite the legal separation or divorce. It’s critical to prioritize their needs in their co-parenting plan.
Practical Considerations
Couples, in both cases, must determine their living arrangements and make practical decisions about housing, their belongings, and other logistical matters.
A stronger support system by reaching out to friends, family, or support groups can help couples with legal separations and divorces by offering emotional and practical support during their trying times.
Future Planning
Couples must consider the impact of the separation or divorce on their career and educational goals. Some may need to reevaluate their long-term goals and aspirations. The transition often provides opportunities for personal growth and positive changes.
Co-Parenting
Fostering a cooperative co-parenting relationship is essential if children are involved to benefit the children and both parents. A detailed parenting plan helps address custody arrangements, visitation schedules, and decision-making responsibilities.
Legal separation and divorce can have significant financial implications for individuals and families. Legal separation is usually less expensive than divorce, and retracting it is easier. However, it is crucial to consider various financial aspects to ensure a fair and sustainable outcome by keeping these financial implications in mind:
Property and Asset Division
Couples must divide marital property like real estate, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, and other assets acquired during the marriage. Legal separation preserves a spouse’s property rights when the other spouse dies. A divorce extinguishes these rights.
Most states view property and debts acquired after a spouse has filed for a legal separation as separate property.
They must also determine how debts, including mortgages, loans, and credit card balances, will be divided between them. Separated spouses are responsible for joint debts taken on during the marriage. Depending on the state, separated spouses may or may not be liable for new debt incurred by the other spouse after separation. The court will divide marital debt when the couple moves on to divorce.
States may treat debts used for family necessities by spouses during a legal separation as joint debt for things like house payments, maintenance of the family home, and childcare expenses.
Spousal Support (Alimony)
During a legal separation or divorce settlement, there are considerations for financial support from one spouse to the other in most cases. It may be temporary or long-term based on factors like income disparity and the length of the marriage.
The noncustodial parent may be required to make regular payments to support the children’s financial needs. Read more about child support and alimony payments during legal separation in this article by NOLO.
Income Tax Implications
Legal separation may allow for certain tax benefits to continue, while divorce will result in a change in filing status.
Social Security Requirements
Legal separation may make more sense if the couple is near meeting the 10-year requirement for Social Security benefits. If a marriage has continued for at least ten years, the divorced spouse can get Social Security benefits at 62 if they haven’t remarried. The benefits are equal to the greater of those based on their work record or 50% of what their ex-spouse is entitled to.
3. Emotional Impact
Legal separation and divorce can have different emotional impacts on individuals and families, as they represent distinct stages in the process of ending a marriage. It’s important to note that emotional responses differ among individuals, and not everyone will experience the same feelings. Here are some general considerations:
Legal Separation
Less Finality – Legal separation allows couples to live apart while remaining legally married, providing a sense of space and time without the finality of divorce. It offers an opportunity for reflection and potential reconciliation.
Ambiguity – Some people may find the uncertainty of a legal separation emotionally challenging. They may be unsure about the future of the relationship, leading to anxiety and stress.
Hope for Reconciliation – For some, legal separation is a way to address immediate issues while holding out hope for eventual reconciliation. It provides them with emotional relief and the possibility of rebuilding the relationship.
Divorce
Finality – Divorce marks the legal end of a marriage, bringing a sense of finality. While providing closure, divorce may also be emotionally challenging.
Grief and Loss – Divorce often involves a grieving process similar to that of other losses. Individuals may experience various emotions, including sadness, anger, and fear of the unknown.
Opportunity for a Fresh Start – Some people find divorce liberating, providing an opportunity for personal growth, self-discovery, and the pursuit of new relationships.
Common Emotional Responses to Both
Stress and Anxiety – Both legal separation and divorce can be stressful, involving legal processes, financial changes, and adjustments to new living arrangements.
Impact on Children – Children can be affected emotionally by both legal separation and divorce. Communication and support are crucial to help them navigate these changes.
Relief – In some cases, both legal separation and divorce can bring a sense of relief, especially if there is conflict and unhappiness in the marital relationship.
4. Legal Process
The legal separation and divorce processes can vary depending on the jurisdiction, as state or country-specific laws primarily govern family law. However, both processes start with a separation agreement. If the couple with a legal separation agreement later decides to end the marriage with a divorce, the separation agreement can form the outline of the divorce decree.
Here are the general legal processes for legal separation and divorce:
Legal Separation
Couples can initiate a legal separation by filing a formal legal petition with the court, similar to a divorce filing. In it, they establish and agree on the terms of their separation, such as spousal support, child custody, and division of assets. These contracts are legally binding.
Despite the legal separation, the parties remain married, and neither party can remarry without obtaining a divorce.
Divorce
One spouse (the petitioner) files a petition to end the marriage with the court, citing the grounds for divorce. Grounds for divorce can include irreconcilable differences, adultery, abandonment, cruelty, etc.
Negotiations or mediation may occur to reach agreements on property division, alimony, child custody, and child support.
Parties may reach a settlement agreement, which they submit to the court for approval. However, if they cannot agree, a judge will decide on contested issues before granting the divorce decree.
Common Elements
In legal separation and divorce, parties should choose to have legal representation to navigate the legal process of dividing their marital assets, debts, and child custody and support.
Both legal separation and divorce proceedings are overseen by courts, which then issue legally binding orders.
Both processes typically involve addressing the division of marital assets and debts.
Legal separation vs. divorce. What’s the right choice for you? It’s essential to consult with legal professionals and know the specific laws and requirements in the jurisdiction where you seek legal separation or divorce. Either way, legal processes can be complex, but individual circumstances can significantly impact your preferences.
