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Divorce and Separation

Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Reviewed June 2020

If you do not want to live with your spouse,

  • you can take legal steps to end your marriage, or
  • you can stay married and separate. If you separate, a judge can still order one spouse to give the other spouse child support and money to live.

Your options include:

The separation of a married couple is not simple. You may also need to think about.

If you are a survivor of domestic violence think about your and your children's safety. You may want an abuse prevention order to stay safe. Some people call an Abuse Prevention Order a restraining order.

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You may be able to get free legal help from your local legal aid program. Or email a question about your own legal problem to a lawyer.

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