Her agreement is not necessary. You need only serve her and then proceed with a default judgment if she refuses to participate. You should consult a family law attorney or facilitator to assist you.
Your question suggests that you are not ready to file for divorce. Massachusetts does not have "legal separations" but there is another action labeled a Complaint for Separate Support. Under this legal action, you can get many of the same court orders you would get as part of a divorce but the end result is that you would remain married. You should consult with an attorney to review the specific facts of your situation to help you decide how best to proceed.
Yes you can file papers for a legal separation and have her served. If she doesn't respond within 30 days you can proceed to judgment legal separation.
Whether she agrees or not you can file for and be granted a legal separation or divorce. The only caveat, is that if you file for legal separation, she can file for divorce and the divorce will be granted .
Consumers can use this platform to pose legal questions to real lawyers and receive free insights.
Participating legal professionals get the opportunity to speak directly with people who may need their services, as well as enhance their standing in the Lawyers.com community.