On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Legal Separation on Monday, April 15, 2013.
Separation laws vary from state to state. Some require a couple to be separated for a certain amount of time before filing for divorce, while others — like Missouri — do not require separation at all. In some cases though, even when not required, couples still chose the route of legal separation.
Recently the topic of legal separation was brought up when it was announced that Grammy award winning drummer, Mick Fleetwood, filed for legal separation from his wife of close to 18 years. At this point, the separation appears to be rather amicable. Of course though, this is all subject to change as the separation continues forward.
In this filing, he is seeking joint legal custody of the couple’s two children — twin 11-year-old daughters — but wants his estranged wife, Lynn Fleetwood, to have physical custody. If this works out, this would be a nice arrangement as both parents would continue to have active roles in their daughters’ lives while also maintaining decision making rights.
Child custody requests aside though, Mick Fleetwood is requesting to have full control over music royalties and earnings from before their July 1995 marriage.
In looking at this news, many might be wondering just exactly what a separation is.
In Missouri, in many ways separation agreements are similar to divorce agreements. These agreements can include information related to property division, child custody and child support. In some cases, due to religious reasons a couple will file for a separation, while in other cases a couple decides to separate in order to give themselves time to assess whether they want to file for divorce.
Regardless of the reason behind the separation, the terms of a separation agreement should not be taken lightly as it can have a serious impact on the future.
Source: CBS News, “Mick Fleetwood files for separation from wife,” April 9, 2013
- Our firm understands the impact a legal separation can have on the future. To learn more, visit our St. Louis legal separation page.
