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Homer and Marge Simpson to Legally Separate!

By Christopher Coble, Esq. on June 12, 2015 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Love is all mirrors and illusions in Hollywood. Even Marge and Homer Simpson can't make their marriage work.

The couple, divorced and remarried once before, are heading to splitsville next season. The show's executive producer Al Jean told Variety that Marge and Homer would legally separate in the 27th season's premier episode.

The horror!

Till Narcolepsy Do Us Part

Apparently, Homer has narcolepsy, and the diagnosis will throw his marriage with Marge into a downward spiral. Sadly, they'll decide to get a legal separation. As soon as the two separate, Homer will fall for his pharmacist. Will he marry the other woman?

Well, he can't because, technically, he'll still be married to Marge! How is that possible?

Notice that the show's producer specifically used the term legal separation instead of divorce. That's because they're actually two separate things.

Divorce ends a marriage. Legal separation is a court order that divides up property, determines child custody and visitation arrangements, and sets child support and spousal support without actually ending the marriage.

Why choose legal separation?

You may be wondering why people (even yellow cartoon people) would even bother with a legal separation. If a marriage is over, might as well get a divorce, right? Well, there are some benefits of choosing a legal separation over a divorce.

  • Taxes -- In some states, the law considers legally separated couples as married for tax purposes. This means legally separated couples can still file taxes jointly and reap the tax benefits of being married.
  • Health Insurance -- Does your ex-husband have great health insurance from his

    power plant job? If you're legally separated and not divorced, you may be able to continue receiving health insurance benefits under your spouse's insurance plan. Be sure to read the fine print first.

  • Social Security Benefits -- If you and your spouse have been married for at least 10 years (even if you have had a 1-year-old for most of that time), you may be able to receive better social security benefits than if you were married for only eight years. So, some couples choose to legally separate first, wait for the 10 year mark, and then divorce.

For all the heartbroken fans out there, don't give up hope yet. Marge and Homer will still technically be married, and in the meantime, we all pray that they may reconcile yet again!

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