What generally represents the status of marriage during a legal separation?

During a legal separation, the marriage relationship is considered to be temporarily modified rather than officially terminated. This means that while the couple is living apart and may have a court order outlining separate financial and custodial arrangements, the marriage itself is not dissolved. Legally, both parties are still married and retain the rights and obligations that come with marriage, such as inheritance rights and health insurance coverage, unless these issues are explicitly modified in the separation agreement. The legal separation allows the couple to address issues such as child custody, support, and property distribution, but it stops short of completely ending the marriage, which would be the case in divorce.

In contrast, options that state the marriage is officially terminated or permanently resolved do not apply in the case of a legal separation, as those actions would involve a divorce, which conclusively dissolves the marriage. The idea that the marriage remains unchanged is also incorrect because a legal separation clearly indicates that changes to the relationship and living arrangements are being implemented, even if the marriage itself persists legally.