Legal separation refers to a situation in which a couple separates and the court gives a judgment on child custody, division of property, child support and visitation. Unlike in divorce where a couple is given a full legal dissolution of marriage, legal separation gives the couple a chance, and time, to decide whether they want to reconcile or end the marriage indefinitely. Similar to most U.S. states, when a divorce or legal separation takes place, Arkansas decides the child custody in accordance with the best interest of the child and does not favor either parent.

Child Support
• When the issue of child support arises the court has a preset criterion of the amount of money that must be paid. You have the right to contest the amount that will be paid on a monthly basis for the child support. Twenty percent of your income will be given as child support if only one child is involved. An increment of 5 percent is added to every additional child and it goes up to 40 percent in the instance of five children.

Visitation Rights
• The laws of Arkansas give a single parent rights to visit the child if he is not granted physical custody. The visitation is based upon a timetable that is created by the court and includes all the important information on visitation. The couple can also make their own rules and timetable after mutual consultation to smooth the visitation process.

Legal Custody
• Arkansas laws say physical custody of the child is only given to one of the parents after the judge gives her verdict, by analyzing what is in the best interest of the child. The parent who is not granted physical custody of the child can still pursue legal custody of the child and to have a say in decisions regarding the education of the child, the religion of the child and other matters related to the well being of the child. For example, a non-custodial parent with visitation rights can request academic records of the child from her school. This way he can track the child's academic performance.

Financial Liabilities
• During the time of legal separation, liabilities become limited between the couple. For instance, if one of the parents has acquired a loan or purchased an asset, the other partner will not be liable for the loan or asset.