Some couples who are legally separated are not financially able to live in different homes. If you and your spouse fit this category, you have to learn to live together amicably until the divorce is finalized. Here are some tips to help you and your spouse co-exist under the same roof while legally separated.
Create a Plan for Daily Interactions
When your relationship is over, communicating with each other can sometimes be difficult. Unfortunately, a failure to communicate can make your relationship worse than it already is and complicate your divorce or reconciliation. Before making the decision to remain under the same roof, it is a good idea for you and your spouse to create a plan to communicate with each other.
At the least, your plan needs to include how you and your spouse plan to handle bills and chores. If you have children, you also need to have a plan in place for handling parenting decisions. For instance, you could require that each parent check in with the other when a child asks for permission to do something.
Do Not Engage in Intimate Relations
One of the biggest legal mistakes you could make while sharing a roof is to have sex with your spouse. If your spouse mistakes the act for reconciliation, it could set the clock back on your legal separation. This is important because in some states you are required to be legally separated for a period of time before you can file for divorce. If your spouse thinks that the act was reconciliatory, you might be faced with restarting your separation period and delay your divorce.
Be Responsible With New Relationships
New relationships with other people can complicate your home life even further. If you or your spouse start to date other people, you need to have a plan in place to handle those new relationships. If your spouse has expressed that he or she does not want you to bring home a new girlfriend or boyfriend, respect that. Remember, this is a temporary state and you want to get through it is easily as possible. The presence of a new love could cause hurt feelings in your spouse, which could mean a delay in getting through a future physical separation, division of property, and even custody of your children.
The laws regarding legal separations differ from state to state. Talk to your attorney about other things you can do to avoid complicating your current situation with your spouse.
Share7 August 2015
Like many other people, I admire the important tasks lawyers take on every day. I’m amazed at how knowledgeable general attorneys are about a variety of subjects. These professionals can accomplish many complicated jobs seamlessly, such as representing a client in a civil lawsuit, assisting a business with a merger, and acting on a client’s behalf in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Besides creating detailed legal briefs, they must argue their clients’ cases in court in front of a judge, jurors, and others. On this blog, I hope you will discover how crucial general attorneys are to this country’s legal system.