What is a Stand-Alone Marital Separation Agreement?
A divorce finalizes the marriage. A legal separation does not terminate the marriage, but it allows the parties or the court to resolve marital issues. A stand-alone marital separation agreement is a temporary agreement commonly used when couples want to legally separate, but do not want to legally terminate their marriage by divorcing. It is usually a voluntary agreement between the spouses. Reasons for not obtaining a divorce vary from religious, moral, health insurance, inheritance, social security or other economical reasons. Some health insurance plans consider legal separation the same as divorce so you should check with your insurance carrier to make sure your spouse will still be covered. Otherwise, your spouse may have to obtain COBRA coverage or get their own heath insurance policy.
