Preparing to end your marriage is a serious decision that requires careful planning and analysis. Some couples who are unsure whether the relationship is completely over consider a temporary legal separation, rather than ending the relationship with a divorce. Before you make up your mind, it is essential to understand how legal separation and divorce differ in Illinois, as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks of both.
Divorce
The most important difference between divorce and legal separation is that divorce is final, while legal separation is not. Once a couple is divorced, each partner is free to get married again. For couples who are certain that their relationship has dissolved beyond the possibility of recovery, divorce is likely the best option.
During their divorce, couples must divide financial assets and debts, and resolve important issues like child support and parenting time. This is also true of legal separation, but the divorce process also provides the option of freezing assets due to a partner’s dissipative behavior or other financial risks.
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