Legal separation
Just because you are physically separated does not mean that you are legally separated. To be legally separated, you need to have a separation agreement, signed by both parties, with both parties signatures acknowledged by a notary public.
A couple may decide to enter into a legal separation, yet never divorce, in order to preserve their rights to employee family benefits. They may prefer not to divorce for religious or other personal reasons. The three main differences between being legally separated and divorced are the right to share employee benefits, the right, but not the requirement, to file joint tax returns, and the possible right to inherit from the other party, depending upon the separation agreement and the nature of the other party’s estate, and, of course, legally separated parties are not free to remarry.
A couple may decide to enter into a legal separation, yet never divorce, in order to preserve their rights to employee family benefits. They may prefer not to divorce for religious or other personal reasons. The three main differences between being legally separated and divorced are the right to share employee benefits, the right, but not the requirement, to file joint tax returns, and the possible right to inherit from the other party, depending upon the separation agreement and the nature of the other party’s estate, and, of course, legally separated parties are not free to remarry.
