What is the Definition of Marital Separation – Is Divorce Involved?

When a marriage does not seem to be working out a couple may decide to try marriage counseling. Along with this, or perhaps after counseling has proven to be inadequate, a couple may begin to sleep apart and go about their lives separately. A simple definition of marital separation would be a husband and wife residing apart from each other. But it is often more complicated than that. For instance, if the couple have children, an agreement would be needed to decide which of the children stay with whom and when and how visits are to be conducted.Marital separation is often a prelude to divorce and may even be required by law before a divorce is granted. But separation in itself should not mean that a marriage is going to end. Divorce is still not inevitable and may in fact be averted if the right steps are taken during a separation.Whether or not separation results in divorce, the whole process is usually a painful one, even one of self-pity and dejection. In a way, indulging in such feelings may further bring a couple apart and result in what is feared the most. But there are ways by which to stop this descent.A definition of marital separation need not even have the word ‘divorce’ in it. Separation may in fact be just what is needed for a couple to gain perspective and reestablish a connection, something that may not be possible when caught up in each other. One may have preoccupations that had been ignored and which they would like to focus on at last. As one author has put it, husband and wife are able to give ‘the gift of missing’ to the other person. When one starts missing the other and no longer takes them for granted, this may be what reignites the spark in a relationship.Any definition of marital separation is not sufficient to express the difficulties endured by the parties involved. There may be ways to cope sufficiently with the aftermath of divorce but there are also ways of saving a marriage despite all that has gone wrong. If you really want to work things out, there are ways to get things right again. In a somewhat paradoxical fashion, it starts with being your own person apart from your spouse. If there is any hope to a marriage, this is where it starts.