{"id":2128,"date":"2014-09-17T12:01:22","date_gmt":"2014-09-17T19:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-family-law\/?page_id=2128"},"modified":"2024-04-26T11:13:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T18:13:08","slug":"benefits-disadvantages-legal-separation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-family-law\/blog\/benefits-disadvantages-legal-separation\/","title":{"rendered":"Benefits and Disadvantages of Legal Separation in Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

A legal separation is an alternative to divorce for some married couples and can offer an opportunity to reassess their marriage and determine next steps. Many married couples view legal separation as a step before divorce, a sort of mediating time that can help them decide whether divorce or reconciliation is the best decision for their relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Arizona, legal separation is discussed under<\/span> A.R.S. 25-313<\/span><\/a>, which states that the court will grant a separation if a marriage is irretrievably broken or if both parties desire to live separately. The statute also states that both parties can agree to end the separation at any time to reinstate the marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on your situation, filing for legal separation may not make sense, while for others, it\u2019s a better option than <\/span>going through a divorce<\/span><\/a>. Before committing to legal separation, it\u2019s best to know the advantages and disadvantages of the arrangement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Legal Separation vs. Divorce in Arizona<\/span><\/h2>\n

Legal separation and divorce are separate processes with different end results, but they do share several similarities. Unlike a divorce, which terminates a marriage, a legal separation allows the marriage to remain intact but provides an arrangement where both parties can live separately under agreed-upon terms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the similarities between a separation and divorce include:<\/span><\/p>\n