After all, don't we all believe the myriad fairy tales we have seen about the prince sweeping the princess off of her feet and riding away to their honeymoon cottage on a white steed, to live happily ever after?
Obviously, most of us are not quite that naive. But, we're close. That is, when we get married, most people just do not let the thought cross their minds that their marriage could become just another divorce statistic one day. Rather, we all tell ourselves that OUR marriage is special and that things could never one day get so bad as to lead to a separation or divorce.
If you have had the misfortune to be far enough down the road of marital unhappiness as to consider the possibility of splitting up with your spouse, you have probably been considering all of your options. One such option is of course divorce itself, but another option is that of marriage separation.
You may be wondering why some people would choose separation over divorce. What are some good reasons to choose marriage separation? The following are 5 reasons why some couples choose separation over divorce:
1. Separation is a way to give the relationship more time:
By choosing separation, the couple is able to buy themselves some additional time to see if they can't just work things out in the relationship. Divorce has such a ring of finality to it, whereby with separation the couple remains legally married - making things much easier financially, legally and emotionally should the relationship turn out to be salvageable.
2. Insurance and other benefits remain in effect:
From a financial standpoint, any benefits, policies, and plans of a financial or insurance-related nature that specify the couple be married remain in effect. That means that both of you are "covered" with any existing medical insurance, life insurance and other financial instruments should they be needed during the separation period.
3. It keeps both members of the couple from marrying, at least during the separation:
Separation is a legal agreement in the United States. Therefore, the couple may not seek out marriage with others during the separation period. This is another safeguard that could end up allowing the marriage to be saved.
4. Marital separation can be a way to lessen the drama during a breakup:
Since separation feels like a less permanent solution, some couples use it as a way to reduce the high drama that divorce often brings. This makes it easier to sort out the couple's financial and legal affairs, regardless of which way the relationship ends up going.
5. Members of the couple may decide later to give the marriage another chance:
Of course, the couple may well decide to give things another chance. It is not uncommon for separated couples to get back together to lead happy married lives. In this way, too, separation is very much preferable to divorce.
These are 5 reasons to choose separation to divorce, at least in the case of couples who believe their relationship may still stand a chance.