Making the decision to end a marriage is difficult. If you’re like a lot of folks, it’s impossible to understand the enormity of this choice until you find yourself in a truly intolerable position. Depending on your situation, you could be struggling to decide between a prolonged separation and divorce. You may not know yet which choice is right for you, and that’s okay. You may not like the idea of dragging the process out, but separation does come with certain advantages that divorce does not. Whether you’re separating with the intention of reconciliation or divorce, or you just can’t see the best path forward right now, legal separation allows you to escape a bad situation without rushing into a decision.
Benefits of Legal Separation
Though the laws vary by state, separation—at its root—legally preserves the marriage. This married status is beneficial to both parties: A spouse can retain the benefits of the couple’s health care plan, while a divorce usually terminates joint health coverage. Additionally, preserving a marriage results in tax and social security benefits not available to single individuals. Loan and mortgage payments are more easily negotiated, and joint bank accounts can be divided accordingly. Simply put, legal separation offers a solution for many people who desperately want to uncouple but can’t afford the financial consequences.
Money may be the most common factor in pursuing a legal separation, but it’s far from the only one. This path also allows people with deeply held religious beliefs to escape a destructive marriage with less social stigma and personal guilt. Most importantly, choosing legal separation over divorce allows time for both parties to think through a very difficult decision: to work through differences and stay married, or settle on divorce.
Unfortunately, some states do not allow legal separation as an option. As a result, it’s important to understand your state’s laws with regard to ending marriage. You can read more about the options in your state here.
Logistical Support for Separating Your Belongings
When you choose legal separation as either a short- or long-term solution, you’ll still need to begin the process of separating through your stuff. Whether you need a short-term plan for a couple months while you stay with a friend and look for housing or a potentially longer-term solution while you work through the troubling aspects of your marriage, we can help you out. Our friendly and responsive staff will be there to assist you every step of the way.
No matter your ultimate goal, separation is hard. Moving items out of your joint home can be emotionally intense and quite the ordeal. If you plan to keep the majority of your belongings in storage during this period, we can relieve a lot of that stress. Closetbox offers a pickup service that will grab items right from your doorstep. You’ll still need to do some sorting and bargaining, but our complimentary storage pickup ensures that you don’t need to take on another inherently stressful project with your spouse while the marriage is still on the rocks. As long as your belongings are boxed up and clearly designated, you won’t have to spend extra time in a potentially harmful situation.
Moving Forward with Your Life
When your legal separation reaches a final outcome, we provide responsive return delivery options. Whether you choose to have your items returned to the original home or moved into a new space, we can deliver them right to the doorstep for a small fee. Most on-demand requests can be processed within 24 hours, so you won’t have to wait long. If you’d prefer to save a few extra dollars, you can also pickup your own storage at no additional cost.
Often times, you’ll land in a much better place, one way or another, for having gotten out of a truly bad marriage. Take a look at our comprehensive resource guide to help the newly independent woman thrive. Men can find tips for navigating a legal separation and divorce here. Still, no matter the circumstances, separating is an emotionally trying experience in the short-term to say the least. Let Closetbox take some of the immediate burden out of the process for you.
