work on themselves and the relationship through therapy she says adding that she has also seen couples who after filing for divorce and undergoing the mandatory separation have managed to work it out but that percentage is low however i would suggest separation to most warring couples because this period helps you think about your decision and how life will be after it she addsclocking it how long should the timeout last while there is no definitive period of how long a break should be chulani says it shouldnt be lesser than two weeks what you are looking for is some time to see if your differences can be ironed out or if they are irreconcilable you will need to be away from each other for at least a fortnight a twoday break wont work she adds while the couple can meet and talk to each other during this period bhagwagar suggests titrated interaction ie meeting and talking only at predecided times and for designated periods there has to be some communication between the two but clocking your time together will mean that the interaction will not be as intense as it was before she addsmaking the announcement what prevents a large number of couples from opting for separation is the fear of social backlash especially from the family i personally suggest that the family doesnt get involved says kadam inform them she adds but dont allow their views to affect yours tell them that this is what you wantmeeting the friends when you are dating someone or married to someone their friends become your pals and a separation can often become awkward when both you and your partner are invited to the same do handle it maturely advises bhagwagar if its a large gathering you should say hello to your partner and their friends and move away discreetly to join your friends however if its a sitdown dinner or a more intimate gathering decline the invite especially if you know that your partner is going the common friend will only to be too relieved