Although a legal separation and a divorce have many things in common, there are some advantages to getting a legal separation instead of a divorce.

Some of them are:

1.  It allows you to live apart, away from the conflict, to decide if a divorce is what you really want;

2.  You will have a court order that outlines the rights and responsibilities of you and your spouse while you are living apart;

3.  Your interests are protected while you are making your decision whether or not to divorce;

4.  You will get spousal support and child support.

Remember that you must give as much thought to your separation agreement as you would to a divorce agreement because it sets the precedent  for the divorce agreement if a divorce should follow.