marital separation
the situation in which a previously cohabiting married couple stops living together and instead maintains individual residences, finances, and so forth. When the couple has children, the term parental separation is often used. Separation may be informal via mutual agreement or legally arranged via an official, enforceable document. In both cases, the partners remain married, which distinguishes separation from divorce. Increasingly common in Western societies, separation has the potential for significant consequences, including diminished psychosocial functioning, deterioration of the parent–child relationship, and long-term emotional disturbances and mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, depression).