D&D General DMs, how do you handle 'split party' situations?

[Lanefan]

Nothing the thread necromancy here (4 year old thread).

I will echo this. I think the little bit of players having to not use info they learn for their own roleplay is far less of an issue than players bored because they can't even sit at the table and listen to what's going on.

I find they often can't - or won't - separate the info, and will instead do one of two things:

--- blatantly use info their characters don't know to inform their roleplay (e.g. one group finds the diamond in the basement so the other group suddenly stops searching upstairs even though there's no communication between the two groups)
--- overcompensate by denying knowledge of things their characters do know.