I’ve been separated for just about 12 years now (a full 12 years next month, actually), but I still see my in-laws from time to time. In fact, when I visit them sometimes in the summer, I stay with my brother-in-law and his wife, who have made me feel completely welcome in their home. From there I visit my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who live in the neighborhood, and another brother-in-law and family, and any number of cousins who happen to be at home. (The whole clan lives within two towns in Michigan.)
When we first separated I had heard reports that my father-in-law wanted to kill me (which is something to treat literally with him, when he says something that forcefully), but since then he has come to realize that I held things together as long as I could, and we’re totally cool now. Maintaining the separation, and keeping her on my health insurance, has helped to preserve the relationships. Living seven states apart hasn’t hurt any, either.