If your civil partnership has broken down and you are considering a dissolution, our experienced civil partnership dissolution solicitors can represent you. We provide a full service, including advice and guidance on the process and representation in dealing with related issues such as financial matters and arrangements for children.
We know that dealing with the ending of a relationship is likely to be stressful, and our family lawyers will ensure you have the support you need, along with expert legal advice on your position.
Wherever possible, we deal with matters out of court. This can reduce conflict and is usually a faster way of resolving issues. Our team members have a good track record of handling complex disagreements without the need for litigation. Where necessary, we can discuss alternative methods of dispute resolution with you, such as mediation and collaborative law.
Our civil partnership solicitors in Stafford and Rugeley provide the following services:
- Advice on obtaining a civil partnership dissolution
- Making a sole or joint application for civil partnership dissolution
- Responding if you have been notified that your partner has applied for a civil partnership dissolution
- Financial arrangements on civil partnership dissolution
- Arrangements for children on civil partnership dissolution
- Complex and high net worth civil partnership dissolution
How our civil partnership solicitors can help
Having an experienced solicitor on your side during the dissolution of a civil partnership will ensure that the correct steps are followed and that you have comprehensive advice on related matters. It is particularly important to ensure that you have a financial order in place, as without this, your former partner could make a claim against you in the future.
Our family lawyers will provide the help and advice you need to end your civil partnership, along with guidance and representation for any other issues you need to consider.
We hold several accreditations and memberships in recognition of our family law expertise, including the Law Society’s Family Law accreditation and membership of Resolution, the legal body of lawyers committed to resolving family law issues constructively and with minimal conflict. Our team includes trained collaborative lawyers who can represent you in finding solutions during roundtable meetings.
Civil partnership dissolution FAQs
What is a dissolution of a civil partnership?
Dissolving a civil partnership is the legal ending of a civil partnership. It may be referred to as a civil partnership divorce, as the process is similar to a divorce, but it is technically a dissolution, as divorce only applies to married couples.
Provided that you and your partner have been in the civil partnership for at least a year, one or both of you can apply to the courts for a dissolution. The only requirement is that you state that your relationship has irretrievably broken down. It is no longer necessary to provide any grounds on which this has happened.
The process takes at least six months, as there are cooling-off periods. There is not usually an option for your partner to object to an application, provided you have been in the civil partnership for at least a year.
How much does it cost to dissolve a civil partnership?
The application fee for the dissolution of a civil partnership is £593. This is usually paid by the person making the application. If you and your partner decide to apply together, you can agree to share the fee.
In addition, you will need to pay your solicitor’s fees if you ask a civil partnership dissolution solicitor to represent you in the process or in dealing with related issues. Again, each party will usually pay their own fees.
How to terminate a civil partnership
An application is made to the family courts to end or dissolve the partnership. This can be made by either you or your partner or jointly by you both. The person applying will be asked to fill in a form stating that the relationship has irretrievably broken down. You will also be asked if you wish to apply for a financial order.
If you apply in your sole name, the court will send a copy of the application to your partner. They will have 14 days to send back an acknowledgement form confirming that they have received their copy.
Once the court has their acknowledgement, there is a 20-week waiting period. Once this has expired, you can ask the court for a conditional order of civil partnership dissolution.
There is a further wait of six weeks and one day, and then you can apply for a final order of civil partnership dissolution. This is the document that signifies the legal end of your civil partnership.
However, when dealing with a civil partnership dissolution, financial settlement issues should be considered. It is usual to put a financial order in place at the same time.
Do I need to go to court for civil partnership dissolution?
It is not generally necessary to go to court to obtain a dissolution, and the process can be dealt with remotely.
However, if there are disputes related to issues such as finances or arrangements for children, you may need to attend court. We always aim to resolve matters without litigation wherever possible and have a high success rate in doing this. Avoiding court reduces conflict and can help prevent relationships from deteriorating. It is also faster, as there are often backlogs in the family courts.
If we do need to take your case to court, for example, to request the financial assistance you need, we will ensure that you are thoroughly prepared and that you are represented by an expert family law advocate.
What is a financial order on civil partnership?
A financial order sets out how your assets and liabilities will be dealt with. The first step is for both of you to make full financial disclosure to the other. This is generally dealt with by completing a Form E, which is a comprehensive questionnaire dealing with a wide range of issues, including what responsibilities you both have, as well as looking at assets, debts and income.
If you ask us to represent you, we will work with you to establish what you want to achieve from a civil partnership financial settlement. For example, you may want to keep your shared home, where possible, or your pension. We can discuss how this could be achieved and negotiate on your behalf to try and find a solution.
If it is possible to reach an agreement, we can ask the court to approve and seal this, making a binding financial order. In the event that you cannot reach an agreement by way of negotiation, we can guide you through an alternative method of dispute resolution, such as mediation or arbitration.
It is essential to have a financial order made, as without one, your partner may be able to make a claim against you in the future.
Is it easier to dissolve a civil partnership than a marriage?
The process of dissolving a civil partnership is very similar to the divorce process. The same form is completed, and the same issues need to be dealt with in both cases, such as dealing with financial matters and making arrangements for children.
Contact our civil partnership dissolution solicitors in Stafford & Rugeley
If you have decided to end your civil partnership, our experienced family law team can provide you with the expert representation you need.
For tailored legal advice on dissolving a civil partnership, please get in touch with our civil partnership solicitors in Stafford and Rugeley.
