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A legal separation is a civil lawsuit which allows parties to separate their assets and liabilities and resolve issues regarding child support and spousal support without actually terminating their marriage.  Ohio law requires a six month residency requirement to file for divorce, but does not have the same requirement for legal separation.  For that reason, a plaintiff can file for legal separation to obtain court orders for support, etc., and convert the action to a divorce action once the six month residency requirement is satisfied.  A legal separation may also be an option where parties cannot divorce for religious reasons, or desire to protect one spouse's access to health insurance coverage, life insurance benefits, and retirement accounts.