Exemption for married separate

[choued5]

How do I know if I should ask for this exemption?

[SeanE1]

If you and your spouse are filing married separate, you are each entitled to claim yourselves as one exemption.  So you will have yourself as an exemption on your tax return and your spouse will have themselves as an exemption on their return. I have included this LINK for your convenience which will take you to a short IRS article that will tell you a little more about Married Filing Separate.