Deciding on Legal Separation
The Fort Lauderdale family law firm of Braverman & Hymowitz agrees that marriage is hard. And if you have children it can be even more challenging. Sometimes, for reasons that are not even clear to the spouses, marriages take a turn for the worse and can be in trouble. However, feuding spouses need not throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak, and may opt for taking a break from the chaos to let clear heads prevail.
Kinds of Separation in Fort Lauderdale
When married couples decide to legally separate they are making one of the following separation choices:
- Trial – when spouses live apart in order to figure out whether they should live apart indefinitely. This form is not acknowledged under the eyes of the law
- Residing separately – spouses live at different residences. Many states view any assets or debt incurred to be individualized as opposed to the trial separation choice where it could be considered jointly incurred
- Permanent – spouses make the commitment to go their separate ways, could come after a trial separation. Any debt incurred is considered separate. Not legal unless the courts are involved to retaining child support or custody
- Legal – spouses are separated and apply for a court decision on property, alimony, child custody, child support issues and visiting schedules. Does not imply the couple is divorced although some states demand a separation in order for a spouse to record specific grounds in their divorce order
Reasons to Legally Separate
There are a few good reasons to legally separate if you and your spouse have reached a crossroad in your marriage and they are:
- Allow you to try out living separately to see if that is what you truly want
- Gives you the opportunity to get counseling so you can sort out the issues and attempt to resolve them if you so desire
- Permits you to hammer out the details regarding support and other responsibilities regarding your children
- Not as final as a divorce so you still may receive certain benefits such as insurance coverage
You have invested so much into your marriage. Don’t be hasty and make final decisions that are hard to rectify especially if children are involved. The family law attorneys at Braverman & Hymowitz in Fort Lauderdale will spend the time necessary to analyze the specifics of your case and suggest appropriate separation options. Alan Jay Braverman and Michael A. Hymowitz are both Florida Bar Board Certified in Marital and Family Law. Call our Fort Lauderdale divorce & legal separation lawyers today at 954-524-0505 to schedule your initial consultation, or complete our quick contact web form.
