It is a measure by which couples live in separate dwellings, while maintaining the bond which forbids either from concluding a new marriage. Separation can be temporary or permanent.

Separation is temporary for other Christian communities in one of the following reasons:

- For the Catholic and the Armenian Orthodox churches: when one of the spouses embraces another confession.

- For the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox churches: when the other spouse is exposed to physical or psychological risks.

- For the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Evangelical churches: when married life becomes difficult.

- For the Catholic church: upon teaching children non catholic values.

- For the Armenian Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox churches: in case of adultery. - For the Armenian Orthodox church: when one of the spouses avoids marital obligations, is absent from home or suffers from dementia.

- For the Syriac Orthodox church: when one of the spouses is subjecting the other to corruption, or when the spouse refuses to follow her husband or when the husband is involved in the wife’s coming “contrarily to nature”, as provided for in the text.

The texts of the Catholic and Syriac Orthodox churches provide for the possibility of separation for another reason left to the Court’s discretion.

For the Catholic church, separation is final in case of adultery.