Civil Partnership Dissolution Solicitors

If you are in a civil partnership and you wish to formally end it, you need to apply for a ‘dissolution order’. The process of dissolving a civil partnership is similar to that of a divorce in that you need to make a statement saying that the relationship has broken down.

Our civil partnership dissolution expertise

Our family team is band 3 ranked in legal guide, Chambers and Partners UK, for its expertise in matrimonial law. Our solicitors are accredited by the Law Society for Family Law and Children Law, recognising our expertise in these areas.

Should you need legal advice about any property issues related to your civil partnership dissolution, our Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accredited conveyancing solicitors are on hand to assist with buying and selling, remortgaging or a change of title.

Our specialist family solicitors can advise you on the process of dissolving your civil partnership, and guide you on other aspects such as financial and childcare arrangements.

The application forms for dissolving a civil partnership are readily available on the Government website. However, an experienced family lawyer can ensure the dissolution process runs as smoothly as possible and can be on hand to advise on any complications that may arise along the way.

What are the grounds for dissolving a civil partnership?

To apply for a dissolution, you must have been in your civil partnership for at least one year.

As of April 2022, you no longer have to prove that your relationship has irretrievably broken down, however, you do need to make a statement saying that the relationship has come to an end.

You can find out more about the legal procedure for obtaining a civil partnership dissolution in this blog.

Financial arrangements

Once you have decided to start the dissolution process, our family solicitors can look at your shared property and assets, and discuss with you how you wish for them to be divided.

There are lots of factors to take into account when advising on a fair financial settlement. These include:

• The current income and future earnings of both parties.
• You and your ex-partner’s financial needs and obligations.
• The standard of living you enjoyed during the civil partnership.
• The age of each civil partner.
• The duration of the civil partnership.
• Any physical or mental disabilities.
• Financial contributions that each civil partner has made or is likely to make.
• The conduct of both civil partners.

Our civil partnership solicitors will advise you on each of these aspects tailored to your circumstances and endeavour to achieve a fair financial settlement.

Childcare arrangements after a dissolution

When it comes to childcare arrangements after separation, civil partners have the same rights as married couples and any other parents with parental responsibility.

If you have a child during the civil partnership or if you enter into a civil partnership with the parent of your child, you would acquire parental responsibility for the child. If you are in any doubt as to whether you have parental responsibility for a child and wish for more advice, our expert child law solicitors can assist.

If you are having difficulty reaching an agreement about arrangements for your child/children, our child law solicitors can also offer advice on the best way to reach a resolution. Civil partners with parental responsibility for a child can also apply for a Child Arrangements Order if they are unable to agree.

Disputing a civil partnership dissolution

Refusals to cooperate with the dissolution of a civil partnership are rare, however, if you or your ex-partner are disputing the dissolution or refuse to cooperate with the dissolution process, we can advise you on what to do next.

Contact our civil partnership dissolution solicitors in Bristol and South Gloucestershire

Our family solicitors advise people all across the UK from our offices in Bristol and the surrounding area, located in Bedminster, Bishopston, Bristol city centre, Kingswood and Thornbury.

To contact our specialist solicitors about a civil partnership dissolution, call us on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form. Alternatively, you can make an immediate start online.