Arkansas legal separation is similar to divorce, but it does not terminate your marriage. The main difference between the two is that a legal separation does not end the marriage and both parties remain married. A legal separation can be granted by a judge when the parties have irreconcilable differences and cannot live together as husband and wife.
In an AR legal separation, both parties are required to live apart for at least two years before they can file for divorce. Also, a couple who got legally separated can always go back to court and ask for a divorce if they change their mind after living separately for so many years.
What Is Legal Separation?
Legal separation is one of the options available to persons who want to dissociate themselves from their spouses without ending their marriages. A court order granting legal separation states that both parties are no longer obligated to live together as husband and wife (however, they remain married). Legal separation requires that the spouses live apart from each other while unmarried individuals cannot get this type of order because they are already living separately from their spouses without being married by law.
If you want to get a legal separation in Arkansas, you will need to meet some requirements.
You must be married and have lived apart without reconciliation for at least two years. You can also get a legal separation if you are living apart with the intent to live separately permanently or if you are living together but not acting like husband and wife.
You will need to fill out the forms for legal separation in Arkansas and send them to the county clerk where you live (or filed your marriage license). The courts will then review your case and make an official ruling on whether or not to grant a legal separation.