Divorce lawyers report a decline in business in January. The report I saw said that more couples decided to stay together for economic reasons. Business might be down but that doesn't necessarily mean couples are staying together. It might just mean they are separated but content to remain technically, or I guess "legally" married until they can afford the cost of a divorce.
Without so much of the social stigma that used to accompany marital status there are fewer reasons for people to legally end their marriage. They can date even though still married because so many people now will accept the fact that a separated person is not "really" married.
It is true that you can get divorced, yet continue to reside together for economic reasons. Being separated while still living with your spouse sounds weird but that's the law. What counts is not so much whether you live under the same roof as whether your actual marriage relationship has ended. Do you still go places together, share bank accounts, do errands for one another, sleep together? These are the things that matter when determining whether you are separated or not.
Therefore, a couple might live together to keep costs down and still go ahead and end their marriage if they have the few hundred dollars it will take to pay for divorce forms plus the court's filing fee.
A closely related matter is what you need to do to prove to the court that you are separated, and have been for over a year, even when your address stays the same. The answer is a simple one - you just need to say so. Your affidavit is a sworn statement and the court will accept it as true unless your spouse says otherwise.
Without so much of the social stigma that used to accompany marital status there are fewer reasons for people to legally end their marriage. They can date even though still married because so many people now will accept the fact that a separated person is not "really" married.
It is true that you can get divorced, yet continue to reside together for economic reasons. Being separated while still living with your spouse sounds weird but that's the law. What counts is not so much whether you live under the same roof as whether your actual marriage relationship has ended. Do you still go places together, share bank accounts, do errands for one another, sleep together? These are the things that matter when determining whether you are separated or not.
Therefore, a couple might live together to keep costs down and still go ahead and end their marriage if they have the few hundred dollars it will take to pay for divorce forms plus the court's filing fee.
A closely related matter is what you need to do to prove to the court that you are separated, and have been for over a year, even when your address stays the same. The answer is a simple one - you just need to say so. Your affidavit is a sworn statement and the court will accept it as true unless your spouse says otherwise.
About the Author:
The author is an veteran Canadian divorce lawyer who has designed and operates an online do-it-yourself divorce website. The writer invites you to check out his site and would be happy to assist you with your divorce.
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