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legal separation :: legal definition


Legal separation - n. a court-decreed right to live apart, with the rights and obligations of divorced persons, but without divorce. The parties are still married and cannot remarry. A spouse may petition for a legal separation usually on the same basis as for a divorce, and include requests for child custody, alimony, child support and division of property. For people who want to avoid the supposed stigma of divorce, who hold strong religious objections to divorce or who hope to save a marriage, legal separation is an apparent solution. With more states allowing no-fault divorce, the use of separation agreements and informal separation, legal separation is rarely used.

See also: divorce and Related Law Terms ↓


Related Law Terms

ad litem :: adj. legal Latin meaning "for the purposes of the ... of age. See also: guardian ad litem
adoption :: n. the taking of a child into one's family, creati ... the child are met. See also: adopt
adultery :: n. consensual sexual relations when one of the par ... s and grist for scandal newspapers.
alimony :: n. support paid by one ex-spouse to the other as o ... ild support divorce spousal support
arrest :: v. 1) to take or hold a suspected criminal with le ... anda warning probable cause warrant
child custody :: n. a court's determination of which parent, relati ... pport custody divorce joint custody
child support :: n. court-ordered funds to be paid by one parent to ... ild custody divorce spousal support
collateral :: 1) n. property pledged to secure a loan or debt, u ... ral to the Colorado divorce action.
common-law marriage :: n. an agreement between a man and woman to live to ... a marriage. See also: cohabitation
divorce :: 1) n. the termination of a marriage by legal actio ... y separate property spousal support
domestic relations :: n. a polite term for the legal field of divorce, d ... port and alimony. See also: divorce
due process of law :: n. a fundamental principle of fairness in all lega ... procedural and substantive rights.
fraud :: n. the intentional use of deceit, a trick or some ... audulent conveyance intrinsic fraud
joint custody :: n. in divorce actions, a decision by the court (of ... em. See also: child custody divorce
joint tenancy :: n. a crucial relationship in the ownership of real ... ty property tenancy in common title
laches :: n. the legal doctrine that a legal right or claim ... , breach of contract, fraud, etc.).
M'Naughten rule :: n. a traditional "right and wrong" test of legal i ... temporary insanity Twinkie defense
parens patriae :: (paa-rens pat-tree-eye) n. Latin for "father of hi ... pport custody divorce guardian ward
promissory note :: n. a written promise by a person (variously called ... lso: interest obligee obligor usury
self-executing :: adj. immediately effective without further action, ... party the right to try to collect.
separation :: n. married persons living apart, either informally ... gal separation separation agreement
separation agreement :: n. an agreement between two married people who hav ... divorce legal separation separation
unlawful detainer :: n. 1) keeping possession of real property without ... Thirty-day notice three-day notice

Popular Law Searches

legal definition ministerial act :: n. an act, particularly of a governmental employee ... exercising any individual judgment.
chancery legal definition :: n. a court that can order acts performed. Today ch ... ts in most states. See also: equity
testamentary disposition legal definition :: n. how the terms of a will divide the testator's ( ... named beneficiaries. See also: will
contract of sufferance :: n. a "hold-over" tenancy after a lease has expired ... y tenancy at will unlawful detainer
forthwith legal definition :: adv. a term found in contracts, court orders and s ... mediacy, with no excuses for delay.
forthwith definition legal :: adv. a term found in contracts, court orders and s ... mediacy, with no excuses for delay.
what is to wit in a legal contract :: prep. that is to say. Example: "the passengers in ... tty Bumgartner and Sherry Younger."
mirror wills legal definition :: n. the wills of a husband and wife which are ident ... d each names the other as executor.
clean hands doctrine latin :: n. a rule of law that a person coming to court wit ... ices. See also: affirmative defense
sine qua non only relates to contract law :: (see-nay kwah nahn) prep. Latin for "without which ... qua non of the injury to Playmate.

Other Law Terms - L

labor and materials :: (time and materials) n. what some builders or repa ... track of actual labor hours worked.
laches :: n. the legal doctrine that a legal right or claim ... , breach of contract, fraud, etc.).
land :: n. real property, real estate (and all that grows ... See also: real estate real property
landlady :: n. female of landlord or owner of real property fr ... rents or leases. See also: landlord
landlocked :: adj. referring to a parcel of real property which ... which it was created (carved out).
landlord :: n. a person who owns real property and rents or le ... so: lease lessee lessor rent tenant
landlord and tenant :: n. the name for the area of law concerning renting ... ord lease lessee lessor rent tenant
landlord's lien :: n. the right of a landlord to sell abandoned perso ... to the ex-tenant and a public sale.
lapse :: 1) v. to fail to occur, particularly a gift made i ... eficiary devisee legatee trust will
larceny :: n. the crime of taking the goods of another person ... : grand larceny petty larceny theft
last antecedent rule :: n. a doctrine of interpretation (construction) of ... o trucks and not boats or tractors.
last clear chance :: n. a rule of law in determining responsibility for ... contributory negligence negligence
last will and testament :: n. a fancy and redundant way of saying "will." Law ... writing another one. See also: will
latent defect :: n. a hidden flaw, weakness or imperfection in an a ... warranty product liability warranty
lateral support :: n. the right of a land- owner to assurance that hi ... support problems are less dramatic.
law :: n. 1) any system of regulations to govern the cond ... um maritime law natural law statute
law and motion calendar :: n. a court calendar in which only motions and spec ... special legal arguments are heard.
law book :: n. any of numerous volumes dealing with law, inclu ... : common law law Shepardize statute
law of admiralty :: n. statutes, customs and treaties dealing with act ... w. See also: Jones Act maritime law
law of the case :: n. once a judge has decided a legal question durin ... he ruling is the "law of the case."