Before terminating a marriage, many married couples elect to physically separate. In this context, physical separation often includes moving out of a shared residence, winding up joint bank and debt ...

Tim (not his real name) and his live-in girlfriend come to meet me. Jamie wants to get married, “We’ve been living together for five years and it’s time!” she says. “I have been more than patient, but ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Erika Rasure is globally-recognized as a leading consumer economics subject matter expert, ...

Legal separation in Arizona is often misunderstood as a softer alternative to divorce, but in practice, it functions almost identically. Under Arizona law, a court may enter a Decree of Legal ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. Divorce is far more complex than signing a piece of paper. It’s ...

Many couples prefer to separate but avoid making their split final with a divorce, or at least not right away. But maintaining separated status for a prolonged period, sometimes for years after ...