Describe your aspirations and concerns. That is, you must explain to your partner why you feel compelled to split. Begin by stating what you want the debate to be about. "I don't believe we've been in the same place recently, and I sense us moving apart," you may add. "I'd want to speak with you about the potential of a trial separation." Men are not good at giving advice. So if you want men to take your request seriously, then you need to give them some. Explain that you want to explore other options before deciding on a permanent separation. Men love options. They also love change. So offering men an out means they won't feel pressured to make a decision you might later regret. The more details you can provide about what you want to try, the better. For example, you could say that you're interested in seeing how things go with a trial separation before making any decisions about the future of your marriage. This gives your husband time to think and allows you both to consider all your options objectively. Finally, be sure to follow through. If he says no, respect his decision and move on. But don't just assume he'll agree to a trial separation. Make sure he knows this is something you want to do first before discussing terms.