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Legally married, been separated since July 2016, can I file as head of house hold, and can we both claim our child. How should I file my taxes. How do I have to?

We were married in 2013, I left him as of July 2016, we aren't divorced yet. Do we have to file together married, if I can file separately can I claim my child? Can I file as head of household?
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Legally married, been separated since July 2016, can I file as head of house hold, and can we both claim our child. How should I file my taxes. How do I have to?

If you were legally married as of 12/31/2016, your choices are Married Filing Jointly, if your spouse agrees,  or Married Filing Separately, unless you meet the qualifications to be "considered unmarried", in which case you could file as Head of Household. The requirements are:

Considered Unmarried
To qualify for head of household status, you must be either unmarried or considered unmarried on the last day of the year. You are considered unmarried on the last day of the tax year if you meet all the following tests

1. You file a separate return

2. You paid more than half the cost of keeping up your home for the tax year.

3. Your spouse did not live in your home during the last 6 months of the tax year. Your
spouse is considered to live in your home even if he or she is temporarily absent due to special circumstances.

4. Your home was the main home of your child, stepchild, or foster child for more than half the year.

5. You must be able to claim an exemption for the child. (There are some exceptions to this rule, see IRS Pub 17, Chapter 2 and 3) You can find Pub 17 at this link
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf
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