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DEFINITION:
Divorce is when two people who are married decide to end their legal relationship. People decide to divorce for lots of different reasons.
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FAULT VS. NO FAULT:
In some states, a person suing for divorce must prove that his/her spouse did something wrong (e.g., committed adultery). This is called "fault" divorce because one spouse is "at fault" or to blame. Other states offer "no fault" divorce. In the case of "no fault" divorce, the person suing for divorce simply states his/her reason for wanting a divorce without accusing the other person of wrongdoing. Some "no fault" states require couples to be separated for a period of time before they can divorce.
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SEPARATION:
Separation is when two people in a relationship decide to spend time apart, temporarily or permanently. Separations can be formal (legal) or informal. If the people live together, one person usually moves out. Separation is not the same thing as divorce, but can sometimes lead to divorce.
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DIVORCE RATE:
You may have heard that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Guess what?
That's a myth--a rough estimate at best.
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DIVIDING PROPERTY:
When two people are divorced, their property and debt are divided up. If they have children together, decisions are made about child custody and child support. Sometimes one of the spouses receives "alimony" payments from the other. This money is designed to provide the lower-income spouse with money for living expenses.
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LEGAL CHILD CUSTODY:
The parent or guardian who's granted legal custody of a child has the right and responsibility to take care of that child. If one person has sole legal custody, he or she can legally make decisions about the child's school, medical care and religion without consulting the other parent. Many parents have joint legal custody, which means they share the decision-making.
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PHYSICAL CUSTODY:
The child lives with the parent or guardian who is granted physical custody. Many divorced parents have joint physical custody, which means the child spends time living with both parents.
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CHILD SUPPORT:
Child support is the money paid by one parent to another to help raise the child.
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