In a legal separation, you are still legally married. In a divorce, the marriage is dissolved and legal ties are broken between you and your former spouse. There are many reasons people chose to legally separate before or instead of a divorce. For instance, a legal separation allows you to remain on a joint health insurance plan. It can also help you to get to the 10-year mark that is necessary in order to draw on other parties' social security benefits. Before going through a divorce, it is a good idea to consider a legal separation first and see if these benefits will be worth it to you both.