Before you and your spouse hire a divorce attorney, you have the option to take a smaller step: legal separation. This in-between may be a stop on the way to a complete dissolution of marriage, or it may be a quick detour on the way back to a happy relationship. Whatever you and your spouse are dealing with, you might benefit from these three advantages of trying a legal separation.

3 Advantages of a Legal Separation

1. Trial Period

For some couples, a legal separation isn’t always a precursor to divorce. Instead, by living apart for a while, both spouses can enjoy some time alone. During this period, they may be able to figure out what went wrong or how they’d like their relationship to improve. This physical and mental space may provide a path to reconciliation so the spouses can avoid divorce altogether.

2. Practical Benefits

Separating from your spouse may also serve as the ideal compromise—while you’ll get some distance from your husband or wife, you can still enjoy some practical benefits of marriage. For example, since you’re still legally married, the health insurance policyholder of the family can continue to keep their spouse and children on their plan. This way, you don’t have to juggle the loss of medical benefits while managing this shift in your relationship. 

If you’re close to your 10-year anniversary, a separation may also allow you to step away from your spouse while extending your marriage to the decade mark. Once a couple is married for 10 years, the lower-earning spouse will be entitled to some of the other’s Social Security benefits—even if they end up getting a divorce.

3. Find a More Acceptable Alternative

For religious couples, divorce may not even be a viable option. Religions like Catholicism, Hinduism, and Sikhism see marriage as an eternal bond under God that can’t be legally broken. Other couples may be under pressure from family members and friends to avoid divorce due to their community’s religious or cultural background. 

In this case, a separation is a more socially acceptable alternative to a legal divorce. It allows both spouses to live separately and devise a co-parenting plan, without subjecting the couple to disapproval or forcing them to go against their religious beliefs.

If you and your spouse are ready to separate, you can trust Stephenson & Stephenson, PA Attorneys at Law to handle the details. For over three decades, these divorce attorneys have been serving clients in the Sanford, NC, area, helping with everything from estate planning to child custody. They offer personalized attention for every case, so you can rest assured your concerns will be addressed. To learn more about their areas of practice, visit the website. You can also call (919) 774-6182 to arrange for a consultation with a trusted divorce attorney.