A court may grant the separation as well as temporary orders of child custody and support payments from one spouse to the other. (info.legalzoom.com)
Once the divorce case is filed, the court can rule on either spouse's requests for temporary orders. (info.legalzoom.com)
In contrast, courts can issue temporary orders in a divorce case, including awards of spousal support or child custody until the divorce is final. (info.legalzoom.com)