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Civil Partnership Dissolution

Civil Partnership Dissolution Lawyers

Dissolving a civil partnership can be tough. Alongside dealing with the emotional aspect of ending your relationship, you must also handle the legal process of ending your partnership, including sorting out financial matters like selling a house and childcare arrangements. 

In these situations, having a knowledgeable lawyer by your side can make all the difference in moving through the steps required to dissolve your partnership formally. 

At Lawhive, our network of expert civil partnership dissolution solicitors is here to offer compassionate guidance and practical help. Contact our Legal Assessment Team for a free case evaluation and fixed-fee quote for the help of our solicitors in dissolving your civil partnership. 

• When can you end your civil partnership?

• How to apply to end a civil partnership

• How much does it cost to end a civil partnership?

• Can you end a civil partnership if one partner lacks mental capacity?

• What are the grounds for the dissolution of a civil partnership?

• Do you need a solicitor to end a civil partnership?

• Contested vs uncontested dissolution of a civil partnership

• How long does it take to get a civil partnership dissolution order?

• Making financial claims when ending a civil partnership

• Making child arrangements when ending a civil partnership

When can you end your civil partnership?

To dissolve your civil partnership legally, you must have been in it for at least a year. 

If it's been less than a year or you prefer not to end it officially, you can consider a legal separation instead.

How to apply to end a civil partnership

You can either apply to end your civil partnership by yourself or jointly with your partner if you've discussed it and agreed on it together.

Sole application

In a sole application, either you or your partner starts the process.

If you decide to make the application, one of our experienced divorce solicitors can help you complete all the necessary forms and submit the relevant documents and information.

Joint application

When you and your partner make a joint application, you are both considered applicants and are referred to as Applicant 1 and Applicant 2. 

This option for joint applications is a recent addition, as it only became available in April 2022.

How much does it cost to end a civil partnership?

The current fee to apply for a civil partnership dissolution is £593. 

The cost for a licensed solicitor to help with civil partnership dissolution can vary depending on several factors, such as the complexity and needs of your case.

On average, you can expect their fees to range from £150 to £200. However, it could be as much as £250.

What do I need to apply for a civil partnership dissolution?

You’ll need your partner’s address and other contact details, like their email address to apply for civil partnership dissolution. 

If your partner’s whereabouts are unknown, there are some practical steps you can take to try and locate them, such as reaching out to relatives, friends, or their last known employer. 

In some circumstances, you can petition to send the application another way, typically via email, or contact the Divorce Service Centre to apply for a search. 

Can you end a civil partnership if one partner lacks mental capacity?

If your partner cannot make decisions, and you can’t agree on ending the civil partnership, you can apply to end it through a sole application.

When someone lacks mental capacity, they can't make decisions for themselves. In this case, your partner will need a "litigation friend" to decide on their behalf during the dissolution process.

A litigation friend can be someone your partner knows well, like a relative or close friend, or a professional such as a solicitor who can represent them.

What are the grounds for the dissolution of a civil partnership?

You don’t need to provide a reason for the breakdown of your civil partnership to dissolve it.

Instead, you only have to confirm that the partnership has irretrievably broken down and that you have been in the civil partnership for at least a year before applying. 

Do you need a solicitor to end a civil partnership?

You don’t need a solicitor to complete a civil partnership dissolution application, but the advice and guidance of a professional can be helpful. 

If you're uncertain about the process, one of our experienced solicitors can help guide you through the dissolution of your civil partnership.

They can also assist with child arrangement orders and provide support if your dissolution becomes contentious regarding children or finances.

Contested vs uncontested dissolution of a civil partnership

A civil partnership dissolution can either be uncontested or contested. In an uncontested scenario, both partners agree to end the relationship permanently.

If your partner contests the decision, they must file an answer with the court within 21 days, explaining their reasons for disagreeing.

Since April 2022, changes in the law have made it difficult to contest dissolutions based on the breakdown of the relationship. This means that if one partner says the relationship has broken down, it's challenging for the other to argue otherwise.

How long does it take to get a civil partnership dissolution order?

Once the court receives your application, they have 14 days to acknowledge it. Then, there's a 20-week cooling-off period before you can proceed. This period allows you to reflect on your decision and ensure it's the right step. 

If you decide to continue with the dissolution after this period, you must complete a statement confirming the details of your application and send it to the court.

Making financial claims when ending a civil partnership

As civil partnerships and divorces are treated very similarly under the law, when ending a civil partnership, you have similar financial rights to divorcing couples.

You can claim the following:

• Maintenance – financial support from your partner

• Lump sum payments – these are one-off payments to settle financial arrangements

• Property sales and transfers – of jointly owned properties like a family home

• Pension sharing and attachment orders – related to pension assets.

Making child arrangements when ending a civil partnership

If you have children from your relationship and you have decided to end it, you will have to make child arrangements, including custody and visitation rights. 

You should talk with your partner to make arrangements for:

• Custody, visitation, and child maintenance payments

• Dividing money, property assets, and debts

If you both agree you won’t need to involve the courts. You may decide to use a solicitor to make your agreement legally binding. However, if one party doesn’t agree you may need to apply to the court for a Child Arrangement Order.

Before taking your issue to court, you must attend a MIAM, which introduces mediation as a way to resolve differences outside of court.

You have to attend a MIAM to show that you've tried mediation unless social services are involved or there's been domestic abuse in your relationship.

How can Lawhive help?

We understand that going through a civil partnership dissolution can be extremely stressful for you and your family.

Our goal is to make the process as straightforward and stress-free as possible.

Our network of experienced divorce lawyers is here to support you every step of the way, whether that involves mediation, civil partnership dissolution, arranging child agreements, or managing financial matters.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case assessment and quote.