What’s the difference between absolute and limited divorce?

Traditional divorce isn’t always possible for every couple. For some, religious convictions may prevent a couple from seeking a legal dissolution of their marriage. For others, it might not make financial sense to divorce right now. Either way, couples facing marital problems still deserve relief, it’s just a matter of finding the right solution for each couple’s needs.

For couples like the ones we mentioned above, your relief may lie in a limited divorce. If you’re like a lot of people here in Montgomery County, you may believe this is closely related to the traditional divorce process, also referred to as absolute divorce. But as you will soon see, these two types of divorce are very different from each other– both offering though relief from a broken-down marriage.

Now, some of you may already be asking: what’s the difference between absolute and limited divorce? Well, according to the People’s Law Library of Maryland, the answer is this: an absolute divorce permanently dissolves a marriage while a limited divorce acts more like a legal separation. For those who don’t know, legal separations do not formally dissolve the marriage but rather allow couples to live separately because they do not have grounds for divorce, are unable to settle their differences, and/or need financial relief.

Although limited divorces in Maryland can preempt absolute divorce, couples are not required to obtain a limited divorce prior to filing for absolute divorce.

If you asked the question we posed in today’s blog post, know that you are not alone. Most people are unaware of how complex the law really is until they have to face it head on. That’s why most people turn to a skilled family law attorney because they oftentimes have the experience and knowledge necessary to answer questions like the one we asked today as well as others that can easily come up with any family law issue.