**Bifurcation:** To separate the legal issues in a case. For example, sometimes spouses or domestic partners cannot agree on all the issues in a divorce and it is holding up the divorce itself. The parties may want to move ahead with ending the marital status or domestic partnership while other issues remain to be resolved. To do this, a party can ask for a “bifurcation” of marital/partnership status. This means that the court makes a decision on ending your marriage or domestic partnership while other issues remain open and to be decided. Click to learn how to ask for a bifurcation in a divorce or legal separation case.