If you have decided to end your civil partnership, you can apply to the Court for a dissolution order. The application can be made jointly with your civil partner or by either partner individually. You do not need to prove that either person was responsible for the relationship ending.
It is important to consider that legally ending the civil partnership does not automatically resolve financial matters, including what should happen to the family home, savings, pensions and other assets. Our family law solicitors can guide you through the dissolution process, advise you on negotiating and securing a financial settlement and assist with any other legal issues arising from your separation.
The starting point is an initial consultation in which we can discuss the full background, understand what you want to achieve and provide an initial view of the possible outcomes. We will then work with your objectives in mind and explain the available options, likely costs and next steps. Fixed fees are available for the dissolution process.
How Does Civil Partnership Dissolution Work?
A civil partnership can be dissolved after at least one year. The application may be made jointly or by either civil partner individually. You only need to confirm that the relationship has broken down irretrievably; neither person must prove fault.
There is a minimum period of 20 weeks before applying for a conditional order, followed by at least six weeks and one day before applying for the final order. The final order legally ends the civil partnership.
It may be sensible to resolve financial matters before applying for the final order, as dissolution can affect pensions, inheritance and other financial interests. We can advise you on the timing of each stage.
Financial Settlements Following Dissolution
In most cases, ending a civil partnership will also leave important financial questions to resolve, including what should happen to the family home, savings, investments, pensions, business interests and debts, as well as whether either person should pay maintenance.
A financial agreement can be reached through direct negotiations, solicitor-led discussions or mediation. There is no standard division that applies to every case. Advice on the factors the Court would consider and the likely range of outcomes can help you negotiate from an informed position and assess whether any proposed settlement is fair.
If an agreement is reached, it should usually be recorded in a financial consent order approved by the Court. Without an order, either person may remain able to make financial claims in the future. If an agreement cannot be reached, either civil partner can ask the Court to decide how the finances should be divided.
How We Can Help
We can prepare and manage a sole or joint dissolution application, respond to an application made by your civil partner and advise you on the timing of the conditional and final orders. We will ensure that you understand each stage and that the necessary documents are completed correctly.
Where financial matters also need to be resolved, we can assist with financial disclosure, negotiations and mediation, as well as preparing a consent order once an agreement has been reached. If the financial issues remain contested, we can prepare your case and represent you in financial remedy proceedings.
Sobiah Hussain
Partner, Solicitor-Advocate, Collaborative Law Practitioner & Head of Private Family Law
Meet the teamMeet the Family Law Team
Sobiah Hussain
Partner, Solicitor-Advocate, Collaborative Law Practitioner & Head of Private Family Law
Irrum Shah
Senior Associate Solicitor
Alison Page
Senior Associate Solicitor
Emma Macdonald
Chartered Legal Executive
Frequently Asked Questions
Marriage and civil partnerships are both legally bound relationships between two people. They both share many of the same benefits, including rights to any property and assets, relationships and arrangements to any children, as well as pension benefits. They also share many of the same obligations. There are some differences, however, between marriages and civil partnerships.
The first difference is those in civil partnerships cannot legally call themselves ‘married’. Comparatively, civil partnerships are ended with dissolution by obtaining a dissolution order, whereas a marriage is ended with divorce by obtaining a final order (previously called a decree absolute). When we look at the grounds for divorce, adultery is included for those going through divorce. Yet, adultery is not a ground for dissolving a civil partnership.
A civil partnership is ended by making an application for a dissolution order in court. Whilst this is similar to divorce, legally speaking you do not get ‘divorced’ from a civil partnership.
If the civil partnership breaks down, there is a legal process that must be followed in order to dissolve the civil partnership. This includes making an application to the court, asking for legal authorisation for the relationship to end.
The process of dissolving a civil partnership is very similar to a divorce. A couple must have been in the civil partnership for a minimum of 1 year before an application for dissolution can be made to court. Once the minimum period of 1 year has passed, either person in the couple, or both if the decision is mutual, can apply for a dissolution order.
If a civil partnership has lasted for less than 1 year, a separation order can be applied for to agree the details of how the couple want to separate. For more information on separation agreements, see our dedicated page.
In the application, the applicant must provide a declaration detailing that the partnership has irrevocably broken down.
You can avoid going to any court hearings by agreeing with your partner ahead of time on decisions surrounding finances, property and assets, and any children.
A dissolution order is a legal process that must be followed in order to dissolve a civil partnership. This includes making an application to the court, asking for legal authorisation for the relationship to end.
The process of dissolving a civil partnership is very similar to a divorce. A couple must have been in the civil partnership for a minimum of 1 year before an application for dissolution can be made to court. Once the minimum period of 1 year has passed, either person in the couple, or both if the decision is mutual, can apply for a dissolution order.
If a civil partnership has lasted for less than 1 year, a separation order can be applied for to agree the details of how the couple want to separate. Read more about separation agreements here.
In the application, the applicant must provide a declaration detailing that the partnership has irrevocably broken down.
If a civil partnership has lasted for less than 1 year, or one person is the relationship does not want it to end, a separation order can be applied for to agree the details of how the couple want to separate. Read more about separation agreements here. [LINK]
In the same way as in a divorce, ending a civil partnership requires the applicant to demonstrate that the relationship has broken down irreversibly. There are no specific grounds that must be proven for the dissolution to be granted. The court will grant and process the dissolution once satisfied with the details of the breakdown of the relationship.
Someone may apply for annulment if they are able to assert to the court that their civil partnership was not legal in the first place. Civil partnerships must meet certain criteria in order to be legal, including that both partners must not already be married or in a civil partnership, they must both be over 16 years old, and the civil partnership must not be entered under any kind of coercion.
Annulments are usually applied for within 3 years of registering a civil partnership, and if the annulment is granted, the partnership will become void or voidable.
Get in touch
Information is processed in line with UK GDPR and our Privacy Policy