Does a married couple have to live apart to get a divorce?

Answer

Typically speaking yes, living separately does help the validity of the case however if you live in Louisiana with your wife under her stepdad's roof he might demand she sign an "annulment" so under those circumstances yes you can be divorced and live under the same roof.

To know for certain, I really need more info. Where you live, how long the mairrage has existed, etc. In most jurisdictions a petittion for divorce will be taken seriously if the two plaintiff's have separate addresses assuming it's a contested case. If neither party contests, it may still be possible. I've seen three cases in Nevada (between 1990 and 2002) where these circumstances applied and there were little problems. Bayouresearch@myway.com if you need to know more.

Answer

If you are filing for a no-fault divorce (incompatibility/irreconcilable differences/irretrievable breakdown of the marriage/etc) some states do require that you be separated for a certain period time. However, it's possible that you might be considered 'separated' even if you still live in the same house, as long as you are not sharing a room/having sex. You need to check the laws for your specific state.

First answer by ID2560844995. Last edit by Pt. Contributor trust: 309 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 119 [recommend question]

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