Legal help to dissolve your partnership
Separating from your partner is a difficult and emotional time. If you would like advice on separating from your civil partner, our team of experienced family law solicitors in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham can offer support and guidance throughout the civil partnership dissolution process.
How do you legally end a civil partnership?
In order to end a civil partnership, one of the civil partners must petition the Court for a dissolution order. These proceedings cannot start until one year after the civil partnership was registered.
Under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, there is only one ground for dissolving a civil partnership, which is the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship. There has to be evidence of this for one of the following reasons:
- Unreasonable behaviour;
- Separation for two years with the consent of the other civil partner;
- Desertion for two years; or
- Separation for five years.
The dissolution proceedings then continue in the same way as a traditional divorce. Once they have started, either party to the civil partnership is entitled to apply for financial provisions which can include:
- Maintenance;
- A lump sum;
- The transfer of property;
- A pension share; or
- Other assets in sole or joint names.
How our solicitors can support you with your civil partnership dissolution
At Nelsons, our team of specialist family law solicitors is one of the largest in the East Midlands. The team have many years of experience in dealing with civil partnership dissolution cases and our experience ensures that we will give you the best advice about your circumstances, as well as support you throughout the dissolution process.
We can also provide legal advice if you are planning to enter into a civil partnership, to protect your position through a pre-registration agreement which is treated in the same way as a pre-nuptial agreement.
Please note that we can only advise on a Legal Aid basis for public law/care proceedings.
Our team of family law solicitors includes:
- Resolution Accredited Specialists
- Law Society Family Panel & Advanced Family Panel members
- Law Society Children Panel Members
Our expertise in family law is also recognised by the independently researched directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.