Couples can use court forms or online divorce platforms or hire an attorney ... The petitioner initiates the legal proceedings by filing the petition for dissolution of marriage.

It is entirely possible to obtain a legal separation without hiring a lawyer. Most state and/or county courts have the necessary separation petition forms available for free on their websites.

LegalZoom is one of the oldest online legal form companies with ... LegalZoom’s divorce papers product does not include ...

Nor is it uncommon for spouses who have physically separated to believe that, as a result of their physical separation, the benefits of a “legal separation” inherently inure to them ...