Dissolution of My Civil Partnership?

How to obtain Dissolution of my Civil Partnership?

Dissolving a civil partnership is a legal process involving applying to the court for the partnership to be dissolved.

Like married couples, however, civil partners can separate either formally or informally (i.e. by just agreeing to separate).

In order to apply for the dissolution of a civil partnership, as with divorce certain procedures have to take place, including:

• Applying for a separation order this can be applied for at any time and can be done before a dissolution order is applied for
• Applying for a dissolution order can only be done once you have been in a civil partnership for at least one year.

A civil partnership can also be annulled in some circumstances for example, if the partnership is found to be unlawful (e.g. one party did not declare they were already married or in another civil partnership).

If children are involved in a civil partnership, it is likely the court will step in to ensure provision for their care in a legal separation or if a civil partnership is dissolved.

In dissolving a civil partnership, it is important to take expert legal advice to protect your own interests especially if there are children from a previous relationship or from a new relationship you have formed, as well as children in your civil partnership.

It is usual for one partner to care for any children from a civil partnership, which may also mean the partner who cares for the children may remain in the family home.

Like divorce, ending a civil partnership means coming to some agreement on a wide range of everyday matters including:

• Child contact and residence
• Maintenance settlements
• Property (including tenancies and second homes)
• Sharing joint finances and financial assets (pensions, investments).

In cases where one partner in a civil partnership may not be a British national, they may also lose their right to remain in the UK if a civil partnership ends without issue (i.e. no children of the partnership).

Dissolving a civil partnership requires expert legal advice even if a pre-registration agreement has been signed.

Duncan Lewis Divorce solicitors offer expert and detailed legal advice to same-sex couples on division of property and joint financial arrangements when a civil partnership ends.

Duncan Lewis also has successful departments specialising in immigration, family and children law and litigation, able to advise on the various issues involved in ending civil partnerships as well as how to ensure any settlement best suits your future needs and those of any children.

Duncan Lewis can also advise on alternatives to costly court proceedings if a settlement is disputed, including dispute resolution and lawyers supported family mediation.

Fixed Fee Legal Advice on Civil Partnership Dissolution

Duncan Lewis offers same-sex couples a fixed fee for dissolving a civil partnership and if required an initial fixed fee to discuss any issues which are the subject of dispute i.e., financial matters ancillary to the dissolution of the civil partnership. All other work will be dealt with by way of competitive hourly rates.

In cases where there is evidence of domestic abuse and/or domestic abuse involving children, or child protection matters involving Social Services, it is usually possible to apply for Legal Aid to cover the cost of legal fees.

Duncan Lewis High Net Worth Divorce Solicitors offer specialist legal advice on civil partnerships, the Civil Partnership Act 2004, Civil Partnership Registration, Legal Rights when registering a civil partnership and dissolution of civil partnerships to those individuals with assets in excess of 1 million pounds.  

For expert legal advice on Dissolution of a Civil Partnership and related family matters, call Duncan Lewis Solicitors in confidence on 033 3772 0409.