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Wealthier couples choose divorce over separation more often

A recent study released at the American Sociological Association's annual conference provides a new look at divorce and separation in America. Specifically, the study looks at trends among couples choosing divorce. Despite the findings, Minnesota is unique because it has "legal" separation. In general, however, it appears that even with "legal" separation couples with more money still tend to choose divorce over separation.

According to the study's findings, long-term separations, which the study defines as a separation lasting a decade or longer, often involved minorities. The study also found that couples choosing separation over divorce tended to have less education and less money and marital assets compared to couples choosing divorce.

The authors concluded that the reason lower income individuals are choosing separation over divorce is because it is a low cost, do-it-yourself alternative. For many, separation may not be their first choice, but it is often viewed as more accessible. The difficulty, of course, is quantifying separation since separation does not require a legal filing like divorce does.

In Minnesota, couples have the unique choice of filing for a "legal" separation. This unique filing status is not final like a divorce is, but it does allow couples to enter into a legally binding agreement for financial support, child support, and other matters. According to recent data, however, this is a status few opt for, with only 108 filings in 2008 and 2009.

If the sole reason for choosing separation is financial, it is not surprising the numbers are so low. Plus, for many couples, separation does not provide the finality that they are looking for, especially concerning real estate, pensions, business assets and other complex items.

Source: Star Tribune, "The demographics of couples who separate, but don't divorce..." Jeremy Olson, Aug 20, 2012

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