If you and your spouse are experiencing tough times due to you having a terminal disease, you may have many thoughts about what your spouse is feeling and what he or she will do after you're gone. You more than likely have faced many hard choices since you learned you are terminally ill, one being about your spouse getting on with his or her life. For many married couples, telling their spouse to leave and experience life without the burden of watching you die can be one of hardest tasks they have ever had to do. While many couples stay together until the sick spouse dies, others do not because of the sick spouse feeling heartbroken for the other going through it. If you want your spouse to live away from you and let you die with dignity the way you choose to, learn how legal separation can help you both.

Separation Lets You Remain Insured

If you have been sick for a while, your spouse is more than likely the only one working and is the one keeping you covered with health insurance. Your health insurance is probably paying for the home health care professionals you will depend on if your spouse is no longer around. You will need your coverage for all the care you need for treatments like pain management and other types of medical procedures. If you and your spouse are only separated, you can remain on his or her insurance plan, so you will never have to worry about your medical care and your spouse will not feel as guilty for leaving you.

How Long Legal Separation Lasts

You may wonder how long you can be legally separated until you and spouse either must get divorced or reconcile. You should know there are no set time limits if legal separation is available in your area. If you and your spouse get a divorce, you will need to provide dates for how many days you have been separated. However, in your case, if you and your spouse are on terms of him or her leaving because of your illness, you may never have to worry about divorce. If you pass away, your spouse will be legally single again without the interference of a divorce.

Nothing in life can be more frightening and hard to face than your own death. If you are serious about your spouse leaving and starting a new life without watching you die, you are making a selfless and amazing sacrifice. However, you may not want to get a divorce for financial or insurance reasons. If you are considering this type of choice, discuss your options for separation with a divorce attorney, like one from Eschbacher Law, that knows the laws about it in your area.