Dear Queenie,
My husband and I are separated, but we haven't decided yet whether we're going to get a divorce or get back together.
Meanwhile, I have been dating and so has he, and a couple of times I have had sex with someone I went out with and I suppose my husband has too. My mother says if we have sex with anyone but each other it is adultery.
Queenie, is she right?—Not quite free yet
Dear Not quite,
Yes, your mother is correct. A legal separation often implies that the parties are free to start dating others, but an informal separation, which is what you seem to be describing, is another matter.
However, as long as you are still married, even though you are separated, having sex with anyone other than your spouse is considered adultery – and could be grounds for divorce if you did not have any grounds before.
