Reasons for a legal separation rather than divorce

We recently read a newspaper article in which an interesting bit of trivia was dissected. Try to think of the names of the only two countries in the world in which divorce is forbidden. Give up? (We did, too.) The first one, the Vatican, is perhaps an obvious choice. The second, the Philippines, is probably less obvious.

According to the Associated Press, however, the nation of 100 million people — most of whom are Catholic — has not allowed divorce in the 500 years since Spanish colonists imposed their religious views on indigenous people upon their arrival.

While the Philippines is free to create the laws of its choosing, of course, the article about their ban on divorce got us thinking that religion is often a factor when a Nevada couple opts for legal separation over divorce. Some members of some religions do not want to divorce because of religious reasons.

So a legal separation can give them the financial distance and other disentanglements that they seek, without forcing them to violate their deeply held beliefs.

Another reason people will choose separation over divorce is to prevent a spouse from losing health care coverage. In some circumstances, a husband or wife would lose critical coverage in the event of a divorce, so the couple opts instead to separate in a way that allows the spouse to continue to be covered by the insurance policy.

In other situations, a couple might simply want to get time away from a struggling relationship so that they can reflect on ways to improve their marriage. During the breather, however, they cannot be held responsible for any debts the other spouse might incur.

If you and your spouse find yourself in one of these categories, or in unique circumstances that call for a legal separation, discuss your options with an experienced Las Vegas family law attorney.