Divorce

Hi,
My wife and I moved to Belgium from America one year, and three months ago. We have been married since 2009. (in America, and we registered when we moved here, and made our marriage official here a little over a year ago) Now we're talking about getting either separated or divorced. We just need to take some time apart and live on our own. I am wondering how that will effect my visa (work permission, and residency) Would I be able to continue living in Belgium, and working here while we are separated or divorced? Does anyone have advice on where I can seek accurate information? We went to a notarius today to look into everything. They said that if we are legally separated, we would still be financially responsible for one another. We're trying to avoid that while not living together. The notarius however, didn't know anything about my situation as they have never dealt with international marriages. Would it be possible to gain permanent residency before getting divorced? Would that be a beneficial option? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!