Dating while separated but living together
Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent.
