Legal separation

Legal separation (sometimes judicial separation, separate maintenance, divorce a mensa et thoro, or divorce from bed-and-board) is a legal process by which a married couple may formalize a de facto separation while remaining legally married. A legal separation is granted in the form of a court order. In cases where children are involved, a court order of legal separation often makes child custody arrangements, specifying sole custody or shared parenting, as well as child support.^[1] Some couples obtain a legal separation as an alternative to a divorce, based on moral or religious objections to divorce.^[2]

Legal separation does not automatically lead to divorce. The couple might reconcile, in which case they do not have to do anything in order to continue their marriage.^[3]^[4]

^ Statsky, William P. (2012). Family law (Sixth ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 254. ISBN 9781435440746.
^ Call, Vaughn R. A.; Heaton, Tim B. (September 1997). "Religious Influence on Marital Stability". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 36 (3): 382. doi:10.2307/1387856. JSTOR 1387856.
^ Wineberg, Howard; McCarthy, James (7 March 1994). "Separation and Reconciliation in American Marriages". Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 20 (1–2): 21–42. doi:10.1300/J087v20n01_02.
^ Doherty, William J.; Willoughby, Brian J.; Peterson, Bruce (April 2011). "Interest in Martial Reconciliation Among Divorcing Parents". Family Court Review. 49 (2): 313–321. doi:10.1111/j.1744-1617.2011.01373.x.

[1] Statsky, William P. (2012). Family law (Sixth ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 254. ISBN 9781435440746.

[2] Call, Vaughn R. A.; Heaton, Tim B. (September 1997). "Religious Influence on Marital Stability". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 36 (3): 382. doi:10.2307/1387856. JSTOR 1387856.

[3] Wineberg, Howard; McCarthy, James (7 March 1994). "Separation and Reconciliation in American Marriages". Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 20 (1–2): 21–42. doi:10.1300/J087v20n01_02.

[4] Doherty, William J.; Willoughby, Brian J.; Peterson, Bruce (April 2011). "Interest in Martial Reconciliation Among Divorcing Parents". Family Court Review. 49 (2): 313–321. doi:10.1111/j.1744-1617.2011.01373.x.

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