How can I confirm that a couple is legally seperated ?

All the states vary on their laws concerning separation/divorce, so we can't really help without knowing more info.

Your best bet is to just have your friend request written proof of the separation from the guy before she continues to see him. That is a legitimate and fair request. And if he is legally separated, then he will provide the proof.

First of all, not all states even have such a thing as "legal separation". In some states, you're either married or divorced, period.

Most courts have websites these days, but most of the documents are not actually online because they are too voluminous. A lot of times, you can see an index with the titles of documents and the date they were filed, but not the document itself. And even when it is, to see/print it or get copies you usually have to prepay.

You have to know exactly what court and county this would be in, each court within a county operates independently. If you know the county, call one of their courts and if it's the wrong one, ask which court handles domestic stuff like divorce and separation. They will typically tell you on the phone if something has been filed, they just won't give you any details about it.

You can enter the county name and the state into google with the word "clerk". In my county it would be Marion County Clerk Indiana.

If there is a website available for the Clerk's Office, you could possibly do an online search. If there is a website, some counties restrict what is available to be viewed by non-subscribers.

If that fails, you can call the Clerk's Office for the County and ask if a divorce or separation (depending on the jurisdiction) has been filed under the parties' names.

GOOD LUCK. And you are right, you really can't be too careful!

I don't know what state your from so I will give you the Wisconsin on line site for court search. It is helpful to have the correct spelling of last name and birth date if possible but not completely necessary depending on how common the last name is.

Circuit court access program http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl

Good luck.

Proceed with caution and investigate the reasons for seperation and not just from the man. You must talk to the wife and kids. All views will be slanted in their own favor.

A woman is not likely to leave a good man. Especially if children are involved.

Most states have a judicial website. It's commonly something like Indianastatejudiciary.com or indianastatecourts.com Anyway, find that state's judicial website. Look for a link for cases. In my state, all you need to do is type in the name of the person. When I checked in Washington state, you had to identify the court. Anyway, you just have to figure out how to navigate that site. Mine is case sensative; last name first in your search.

In some states there is no such thing as a legal separation. In Michigan there is no such thing. I would pretend to be a survey taker and call his ex wife- say her name was on a list you purchased of women who are separated but not divorced yet. That should tell you. ( call from a public phone not your own).

Ummm -- he's married - what more do you need to know?

I mean really - who wants a guy who can't commit to his marriage or his divorce.

I completely agree with what "Too Funny" said.

If you don't trust his word enough to go that far you need to find someone else, now!