Benefits of a Getting a Legal Separation Instead of Just Separating or Divorcing

If you and your spouse are not getting along at all and are considering splitting up for good, you might want to consider getting a legal separation instead of divorcing or just separating for a while. A legal separation is something that will require a court order, but it is not the same thing as divorce, and many couples choose this route because of the benefits it offers. Here are some of the benefits you can experience through a legal separation instead of the alternative options you have.

You can reap financial benefits

One of the benefits of legal separation is a financial one. When you are legally separated, you are still legally married. This means that you can file your taxes together, which is often more beneficial than each person filing alone. Additionally, you can keep the insurance and other types of benefits that you have from your spouse. If you get divorced and are on your spouse's insurance plan, you would lose this coverage. If you get legally separated, you could keep the coverage. There may be additional financial benefits as well, and you can learn more about these by speaking with a legal separation lawyer.

It satisfies waiting periods

Most states have a period of time a couple must wait before they can get divorced, and this waiting period begins with filing divorce papers or getting a legal separation. If you know that you want to get divorced in the future, getting a legal separation will satisfy this waiting period, which means you would be able to get your divorce finalized whenever you choose to if you go through a legal separation.

It creates court-ordered rules both spouses must follow

The other huge benefit of getting legally separated versus just separating is that a legal separation allows you to create an agreement with your spouse. This agreement becomes a court-ordered agreement and contains rules both spouses must follow. The agreement can contain details such as who will live in the house and who will pay the bills of the house. It will also contain details about the way you will divide custody and how child support payments will work. Without this agreement, you may experience problems with your spouse in relation to issues like this.

If you want to learn more about divorce or legal separation, you can do so by contacting a law firm that offers these types of services, such as the Law Office of Greg Quimby, P.C.

Share