After eight years of marriage to the famous actor, Dennis Quaid’s wife, Kimberly Buffington, recently filed for legal separation. In March of 2012 Buffington filed a petition for dissolution of marriage citing “discord or conflict of personalities” as the reason for the split. However, just three months after she filed, Buffington withdrew her divorce petition. The couple seemed to be working on their relationship when they celebrated their eight-year anniversary in Bora Bora. In her petition for legal separation Buffington requested joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s twins. Additionally, Buffington asked the court to award her spousal support and order Quaid to contribute toward her attorney fees and court costs.

Quaid and Buffington recently moved to California from Texas. Although Buffington filed for legal separation, she reportedly intends to file for a full divorce once the six-month waiting period has expired. In California, only parties who have resided in the state for a minimum of six months may file for divorce in California family courts. Deciding to file for legal separation or divorce is an important decision. If a party files for legal separation, the court has the ability to make custody and visitation, support, and property division orders. Unlike in divorce proceedings, there is no requisite waiting period to obtain a legal separation.

In addition to the six-month residency requirement, there is also a six-month waiting period before the marital status of the parties can be terminated. This means that if the parties file for divorce and settle all disputed issues within a month, they still cannot be legally divorced for another five months. One strategy, which seems to be used here by Buffington, is to file for legal separation before the residency requirement is met in order to start the clock on the other six-month waiting period.

For the purposes of property division and support, the date of separation can be an important issue. Although Buffington filed for divorce in March, the date of separation will likely be much later due to the parties’ attempted reconciliation. It is unclear when Buffington decided the marriage was over; however, two requirements must be met in order to establish a date of separation. First, the parties must live physically apart and second; at least one party must have the intent not to resume the marital relationship. Thus, any earnings and property acquired by either Quaid or Buffington during the attempted reconciliation will be deemed community property. As community property earnings and property will be split equally between the parties.

Please contact us if you are considering a divorce from your spouse, a legal separation, or have questions regarding child custody and visitation. Nancy J. Bickford is the only lawyer in San Diego County representing clients in divorces, who is a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) and who is actively licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Don’t settle for less when determining your rights. Call 858-793-8884 in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, North County or San Diego.