New York Legal Separation Agreement
New York offers a judgment of separation from bed and board on fault grounds, so a couple stays married while living apart and can later convert the separation to a divorce. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
New York offers a judgment of separation from bed and board, a court order by which a married couple formally separates while staying legally married and unable to remarry (N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law 200). It is a distinct action from a divorce: an action may be maintained by one spouse against the other to procure a judgment separating the parties from bed and board, forever or for a limited time. Unlike New York's no-fault divorce, a separation action requires a ground, and the grounds are the fault-type causes listed in Dom. Rel. Law 200: cruel and inhuman treatment, abandonment, the neglect or refusal of a spouse to provide support, adultery, or the confinement of the defendant in prison for three or more consecutive years. A judgment of separation does not dissolve the marriage, but it does not close off a divorce later. After the spouses have lived apart pursuant to the judgment of separation for six months or more, with proof that the plaintiff has substantially performed its terms, either spouse may obtain a conversion divorce (Dom. Rel. Law 170(5)); the same one-way path exists after living apart under a written agreement of separation that is subscribed, acknowledged, and filed with the county clerk (Dom. Rel. Law 170(6)). Couples choose a New York separation over divorce to keep a spouse on health insurance, to reach the ten-year mark for certain military and Social Security spousal benefits, for religious reasons, or as a trial step before deciding to divorce. The division of marital property and any maintenance follow New York's equitable distribution rules (Dom. Rel. Law 236(B)), which work the same way in a separation as in a divorce, so rather than repeat them here those terms belong in a New York Marital Settlement Agreement; if you decide to end the marriage instead, the pleading that starts it is a New York Divorce Petition. DocDraft builds your New York legal separation agreement from your facts, with attorney review available before you sign.
Key Things to Know
- 1
New York offers a judgment of separation from bed and board, a court order under N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law 200 by which a couple formally separates while staying legally married; neither spouse may remarry, and the marriage ends only through a later divorce.
- 2
A New York separation action requires a ground. Dom. Rel. Law 200 lists cruel and inhuman treatment, abandonment, neglect or refusal to provide support, adultery, and confinement of the defendant in prison for three or more consecutive years. This differs from a New York no-fault divorce, which needs no fault ground.
- 3
A New York judgment of separation does not end the marriage. It separates the parties from bed and board, forever or for a limited time, and both spouses remain married until a later divorce is granted.
- 4
A New York separation converts to a divorce by time. After the spouses live apart pursuant to the judgment of separation for six months or more, with substantial performance of its terms, either may obtain a conversion divorce (Dom. Rel. Law 170(5)).
- 5
New York gives the same conversion path to a private separation agreement: after living apart under a written agreement that is subscribed, acknowledged, and filed with the county clerk for six months or more, either spouse may seek a divorce (Dom. Rel. Law 170(6)).
- 6
Couples choose a New York legal separation over divorce to keep a spouse on health insurance, to reach the ten-year mark for certain military and Social Security spousal benefits, for religious reasons, or as a trial step before deciding to divorce.
- 7
Marital property and maintenance in a New York separation follow equitable distribution under Dom. Rel. Law 236(B), the same rules used in a divorce, so those terms belong in a marital settlement agreement rather than the separation itself; see the New York marital settlement agreement page.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Legal Separation Agreement in New York, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Legal Separation Agreement guide walks through them.
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New York Requirements for Legal Separation Agreement
Judgment of Separation From Bed and Board
New York allows a spouse to obtain a judgment separating the parties from bed and board, forever or for a limited time (N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law 200). The couple stays legally married while living apart, and neither spouse may remarry. The marriage ends only through a later divorce.
Fault Grounds Required for a Separation Action
A New York judgment of separation must rest on a ground in Dom. Rel. Law 200: cruel and inhuman treatment, abandonment, neglect or refusal to provide support, adultery, or confinement of the defendant in prison for three or more consecutive years. A New York no-fault divorce, by contrast, needs no fault ground.
Marriage Not Dissolved
A New York judgment of separation separates the parties from bed and board but does not dissolve the marriage. Both spouses remain married and neither may remarry until a later divorce is granted.
Conversion Divorce After Six Months
After the spouses live apart pursuant to a judgment of separation for six months or more, with substantial performance of its terms, either party may obtain a conversion divorce (Dom. Rel. Law 170(5)). The earlier separation becomes the basis for the divorce rather than a bar to it.
Written Agreement Route and County-Clerk Filing
A written separation agreement that is subscribed and acknowledged in the form required to record a deed may be filed with the clerk of the county where either party resides. Living apart under it for six months or more also supports a conversion divorce (Dom. Rel. Law 170(6)).
Equitable Distribution and Maintenance
Marital property is divided under equitable distribution and maintenance is set under Dom. Rel. Law 236(B), the same rules used in a divorce. Because this is the same division used in a divorce, set it out in a New York marital settlement agreement rather than in the separation itself.
Reasons to Choose Separation Over Divorce
A New York legal separation keeps the marriage in place, which can preserve a spouse's health insurance, help reach the ten-year mark for certain military and Social Security benefits, or serve religious or trial-step reasons. Confirm insurance effects with the plan, since many treat a legal separation like a divorce.
Separation Versus Marital Settlement Agreement
A New York separation sets the couple's married status; a marital settlement agreement is the contract that divides property and sets maintenance and is used in both a separation and a divorce. Keep the money and parenting terms in the marital settlement agreement and rely on the separation for status.