The hearing is not adversarial and is generally accomplished in a 15 to 20 minute hearing before a Master. It is clear that there is great deal of confusion about this term. A Court Order has been issued which is not a Final Judgment of Divorce, but which does recognize that the parties are living apart, or 2. The Parties have signed a proper agreement which recognizes that they are living apart, and they are in fact living apart. This is not accurate.
Legal separations are important.
Not only do the Orders or Agreements relating to them normally deal with financial and child related matters, but legal separation have certain tax implications in terms of the way a spouse is authorized to file income tax returns.