Couples who are separated, whether informally or legally, are still married in the eyes of the law, regardless of how independent their lives have become. This means that if either spouse has a sexual relationship with another person during the separation period, they have probably committed adultery.

Will filing separately save me money?

When you dont want to be liable for your partners tax bill, choosing the married-filing-separately status offers financial protection: the IRS wont apply your refund to your spouses balance due.