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Indiana Alternatives to Divorce: Legal Separation

This will be the first of a short series about alternatives to divorce.

In all my time here, I have written one article on legal separation. If you follow that link, you will see my reasons for the scarcity of of my writing on this subject. However, I ran across Julie Glade's web page and she gave me something to think about (besides wondering if Lake County sees more legal separations than I do down here - Kent A. Jeffirs of Crown Point also devotes part of a web page to legal separation):

"Legal separation may be a better choice for you if you want to limit joint liabilities with a spouse, need the benefit of an employer?s health insurance coverage, or want to consider reconciliation.... In Indiana, legal separation does not end a marriage, but allows the court to issue orders for child custody, child support, parenting time, spousal maintenance, protection from the other parties? debts, and division of property. Legal separation only lasts for one year, but can give you time to identify your options for the future."

In my earlier article, I wrote "[t]he procedure does have its uses so long as its limitations are understood." I did not write in any detail about those uses. Ms. Glade did just that. My only defence to this blind spot is my experience of those wanting a legal separation deciding instead for a dissolution when they learn Indiana's law on legal separation. Do pay close attention to Ms. Glade's last sentence.

And for the legal separation statutes themselves, follow this link.

Full post as published by Sam Hasler's Indiana Divorce & Family Law Blog on January 18, 2009 (boomark / email).