Civil Partnership Dissolution

If you’re in a civil partnership that’s coming to an end, then our family law solicitors can give you the advice you need.

Civil partners who entered a formal civil partnership arrangement will be entitled to the same financial rights and remedies as married couples in the event of their relationship coming to an end.

Formal separation agreement

Upon separation you and your partner can make a formal separation agreement which will set out the decisions you have made about any dependent children, finances and other property.

Our family solicitors can help you formulate  a separation agreement.

If you decide to apply for dissolution of your Civil partnership, you will need to petition the court to make the dissolution official.   To do this you will need to have been in your civil partnership for at least a year.

A currently existing civil partnership does not automatically become a marriage when the new Act came into force, but the civil partners may choose to convert it.  However the processes for this are not expected to be available until the end of the year.

Do you have children?

If you have children who are still dependent upon you, you may need advice about the practical arrangements for their care and support.   This might include where the children will live and what relationship they will have with the other parent.

For children conceived after 6th April 2006 lesbian couples who are in a civil partnership will both be the legal parents of a child conceived through assisted reproduction whether this is in a clinic or at home.

For lesbian couples who have children conceived prior to 6th April 2009 the non biological mother will not be a legal parent unless she has adopted.