Definition

Noun: 1. (Family Law) A formal, court-sanctioned arrangement where a married couple lives apart while remaining legally married. This arrangement regulates the couple's rights and responsibilities, such as child custody, support, and property division, without dissolving the marriage. 2. (General) The state or act of a married couple living apart under a formal agreement or court order.

Usage

• Legal separation is a specific legal status, distinct from divorce or an informal separation.
• It is often used when couples are unsure about divorce, have religious objections to divorce, or need to maintain certain legal benefits (like health insurance) that require marital status.
• The term is commonly used in legal, financial, and personal contexts.

Examples

• The couple filed for a legal separation to settle financial matters while considering reconciliation.
• Their legal separation agreement clearly outlined the child visitation schedule.
• After years of conflict, they decided a legal separation was the best interim solution.

Advanced Usage

• "To be legally separated": This is the state resulting from a decree of legal separation.
  • They have been legally separated for two years but are still technically married.

Variants and Related Words

• Judicial separation (n): A synonym, emphasizing the court-ordered nature of the arrangement.
• Separation agreement (n): The legal contract detailing the terms of a legal separation.
• Separate maintenance (n): A related legal concept, often part of a separation agreement, involving financial support.

Synonyms

• Judicial separation
• Formal separation (in a legal context)

Antonyms

• Divorce (dissolution of marriage)
• Reconciliation
• Cohabitation (as a married couple)

Related Phrases

• "To live separate and apart": A legal phrase often found in separation agreements and decrees.
  • The decree stated they were to live separate and apart.

Noun

1. (law) the cessation of cohabitation of man and wife (either by mutual agreement or under a court order)
2. a judicial decree regulating the rights and responsibilities of a married couple living apart