Moving Forward After a Legal Separation

The end of a marriage is stressful for everyone involved, butin some cases, entering into a legal separation may be abetter choice than divorce for you and your family. Legalseparation allows you to remain officially married andcontinue to share family resources such as insurance andjoint financial accounts. However, because legal separationis not the same as divorce, you may not be sure what stepsto take once the process is complete. Whether you plan towork toward reconciliation later on or decide to eventuallydivorce, there are several ways you can move forward in theshort term that may help you make better choices for thefuture.

Once the separation is final and you and your spouse havesigned the separation agreement, the first step you maywant to take is to make plans for the near future. Makingdecisions that help you a few weeks or even a few monthsdown the road will help you feel less overwhelmed about afuture that may be uncertain. For example, if you have beenstaying with a friend or family member during separationproceedings, focus on taking steps for getting your ownplace, such as checking your credit score and reorganizingyour budget so that you know for sure what you can afford.

If there are children involved, one important step to takeonce you and your partner have separated for

good is to spend some time with them and explain whatthe situation means as far as the family unit. If yourchildren are small, this may be difficult to put into wordsthey will understand, but even a young child cancomprehend that mommy and daddy will not be living inthe same house anymore. If visitation details have alreadybeen settled during the separation proceedings, let yourchildren know about them in order to keepcommunications open and honest. Hiding details will onlybreed mistrust and resentment, which may damagerelationships in the long term.

If you have been keeping friends and family out of the loopduring a legal separation out of respect for your spouse andchildren,

the final step you may need to take after everything isfinalized is to let others in your life know what hashappened. This will cut down on embarrassing gossip andmake family gatherings easier once it is clear to others howyou plan to handle social functions and get-togethers. Ifyou live in California and you and your spouse eventuallydecide that a divorce is necessary, this website to find adivorce settlement attorney in Carmel who can help guideyou through the process.