What is the difference between marital dissolution and legal separation in Washington State?
• In Washington State a legal separation, the court may grant all of the relief that is available in a marital dissolution but the court does not actually end the marriage (in other words, the couple is not divorced at the end). Sometimes persons will choose to file for a legal separation instead of a divorce because they do not want to end the marriage, but they want the other relief (such as property and debt division) that is available through a formal legal separation. This may be the case, for example, where a person’s religious beliefs discourage him from filing for dissolution. • There are a few important facts about Washington State legal separation that you should keep in mind if you are thinking about filing one: • In Washington State you do not need to file a petition for legal separation before filing for marital dissolution. If you want to make sure that you are not responsible for debts your spouse may create after one of you moves out of the house, you should file a mari
