Some jurisdictions have what is called a Legal Separation. This is a formal way of separating from your spouse and establishes the point at which the separation occurred. It is filed and granted in your local court. There are many reasons to use this type of agreement. They are used to establish the date of separation in a formal way, the court having a record on file. This type of procedure can be done with or without the co-operation of your spouse. Regardless of the level of co-operation, all the issues of the marriage would be written in detail - children, property, debts, support, and any ongoing obligations. A very good reason to have a legal separation is to avoid making it appear that one of the parties abandoned the marriage or is giving up their rights to anything within the marriage. You might not be emotionally ready to divorce yet or you may not have enough separation time to meet the rules of your jurisdiction. In some cases you may not have agreed on the issues as of yet but do not want to continue to stay together. This way, without abandoning your claims, you can separate and continue to resolve any outstanding issues. These agreements are normally considered binding at the moment they are registered in your local court. If you need a quick result and want to formalize matters this is a good way to do it. Call us for questions at 1-877- 379-6589