According to my attorney, in CA., legal separation begins at the moment when one spouse leaves the other. And at that point, financial ties are severed. Each person becomes responsible for their own insurances, credit, bank accts. and the like. True, it takes awhile to get it unraveled, and the court may order one party to pay for another party's health insurance and that sorta thing until a settlement is reached. But unless a court orders it, neither party is responsible for the other party's insurances.