Marital separation
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Marital separation occurs when partners to a marriage stop living together. The three main reasons why couples separate are (1) as a step in the divorce process, (2) to gain perspective on the marriage, and (3) to enhance the marriage.[1] Some experts regard a six-month separation as good amount of time for a temporary separation, since it is long enough to set up a second household and gain perspective, but not long enough to seem permanent.[2] A separation can be initiated informally, or there can be a legal separation with a formal separation agreement. Many U.S. state statutes, for example Virginia's, specify that being separated for a given period of time can be grounds for divorce.[3]
