Sometimes you’ll hear a couple say they are “legally separated.” By this, they usually mean they are no longer living together and are awaiting, or considering, a full divorce. Often, the colloquial use of “legal separation” is not in line with Colorado state law. Legal separation is a similar process to divorce, but can yield significantly different results afterward.

In the state of Colorado, married couples have two choices for parting ways: a decree of dissolution of marriage (divorce) or a decree of legal separation. In both cases, two lives are being separated. Thus, financial assets must be divided, custody arrangements will need to be made, and child and spousal support will need to be established. Some ways that legal separation is different from divorce is the inability to remarry (unless, or until, the decree is converted to one of dissolution of marriage), inability to retain inheritance rights, and other potentially important details for your life.