A decree of legal separation is the final Arizona court order that legally separates the spouses without ending the marriage. It addresses property division, debt allocation, spousal maintenance, child support, legal decision making, and parenting time essentially everything a dissolution decree addresses except it does not terminate the marriage.

After a decree of legal separation both parties remain legally married. Either party may later petition to convert the legal separation to a dissolution of marriage.

Spouses may choose legal separation for religious reasons, to preserve health insurance eligibility, to maintain certain marital benefits, or because one party is not ready for a final divorce.