Legal separation vs. divorce. Which is better?
The answer is different for each person confronted with the choice.
For some, separation is preferable to divorce. For others, just the opposite is true.
Separation can be appealing for those who believe that a period of separation may be needed or helpful in the couple’s efforts to reconcile their differences, heal wounds, and salvage their marriage. Some may separate instead of divorcing to obtain some of the benefits of divorce (living separately, having responsibility for marital debts and obligations apportioned between spouses by court order, spousal and child support, etc. without actually dissolving the marriage. Such people may be against divorce because of their religious beliefs, because they want to spare their children the pain and stigma of divorce, or because they need certain benefits they received only through marriage (such as insurance coverage or qualifying to receive trust fund disbursements).
Divorce can be appealing (to the extent is ever appealing) because it enables one to be as free from entanglements with one’s (now ex-) spouse and enables one to remarry and relieves one of the obligations of spouse (although alimony may leave one obligated to provide one’s spouse with financial support for a period of time).
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