Separating or ending a civil partnership?
Whether you are thinking about a separation or know you want to end your civil partnership, the decision is a difficult one to make as it affects you and your family. Our expert family law solicitors, led by partners Louise Halford and Robin Charrot, understand the dilemmas you face and have the empathy and legal expertise to support and help you.
Here for you
When you are ending a civil partnership, you need a family law solicitor who understands both the emotional and legal process you are going through. As North West specialist family lawyers, we are experts in family law with the empathy and experience to help you.
Protecting you
Whether it is your children or the financial aspects of your separation and civil partnership dissolution, our expert family law solicitors are here to protect your family and your financial interests.
Why choose the family lawyers at Evolve Family Law?
Louise Halford and Robin Charrot founded Evolve Family Law. They are passionate about delivering family law services with a difference; approachable, empathetic, non-judgemental, proactive and practical all wrapped up with expert family law legal advice.
Evolve Family Law offers a different choice to a large city centre commercial lawyer, a high street practice or national online divorce lawyers. With law offices located in leafy, rural Cheshire and the North Manchester suburbs, Louise, Robin and the team of Evolve family lawyers can deliver the type of family law service you need; able to take the time to listen to what you want and with the expertise to advise on your best financial settlement and children law outcomes.
Civil Partnership Dissolution Questions
A civil partnership gives couples, irrespective of gender, the same rights and responsibilities as married couples. If you wish to bring your UK civil partnership to an end then you’ll need to apply to the Family Court for a dissolution rather than a ‘divorce’.
The procedure for dissolving a civil partnership in England is similar to the procedure for obtaining a divorce.
How long do civil partnerships in the UK take to dissolve?
The dissolution of a civil partnership normally takes anywhere between 4 to 6 months to complete. In some family situations, the person applying for the dissolution may be advised to hold off applying for what is known as the final Order. That is one of the reasons why it is sensible to get some civil partnership legal advice if you want to start dissolution proceedings or you are responding to dissolution proceedings started by your partner.
I don’t currently live in England. Can I end my civil partnership in England?
Potentially yes you can, provided that you meet the international family law rules for starting dissolution proceedings in England. The jurisdiction rules are complex. It is always prudent to get civil partnership UK family law advice quickly if there is potentially more than one country in which Court proceedings could be started. The decision about where to start the Court proceedings can have a big impact on the financial settlement. That’s why it pays to get quick early specialist civil partnership advice if there is any possibility that your partner could starts proceedings in another jurisdiction.
Will I have to go to Court to end my civil partnership?
Unless your partner objects to the dissolution it is unlikely that you’ll need to go to Court to end your civil partnership. If you can’t sort out the child custody or contact arrangements for any children or a financial settlement through family mediation or through solicitor negotiation you may need to go to Court to resolve matters. Children law and financial applications are separate to the dissolution proceedings. Evolve family law solicitors can guide and support you by looking at your options and help you reach a resolution.
I received the dissolution petition. What should I do?
If you’ve received Court papers then you are a respondent to the dissolution proceedings. Court rules say that once you’ve received the petition a response has to be sent to the Court within seven days. You, therefore, need to contact expert family lawyers to help you complete the acknowledgement of service form. Many people who are responding to a civil partnership UK dissolution petition worry about the impact of agreeing to a dissolution of their civil partnership on future child custody and contact arrangements or the financial settlement. Expert family solicitors can put your mind at ease and guide you through the dissolution proceedings.
We have a child and haven’t sorted out custody. Can we still get the civil partnership dissolved?
Yes, you can. If a couple can’t agree on child custody, then either one of them can make a Court application for a child arrangement order either before or after the dissolution proceedings are started. The Court can finalise the dissolution proceedings before any final decisions are made about child custody and contact. Courts encourage parents to try to reach an agreement on the arrangements for their child either by solicitor negotiations or family mediation before starting a Court application for a child arrangement order.
We have not sorted reached a financial settlement. Can we still get our civil partnership dissolved?
Yes, you can. The Court can grant a dissolution even if no financial agreement has been reached. In some situations, advice is given to delay applying for the final Order (the Court Order that dissolves the civil partnership) until a financial settlement is reached because of the potential financial prejudice to you of finalising the dissolution proceedings without a financial settlement Court Order. It is always sensible to get specialist civil partnership legal advice before finalising dissolution proceedings if you are a petitioner or before replying to the acknowledgement form if you are the respondent to the petition.
Our civil partnership has been dissolved as I have my final Order. Does that mean my ex-partner can’t make financial claims against me?
No, that is not the case. Your ex-partner could make financial claims for maintenance, a share of the property, business assets or pensions unless you obtain a clean break financial Order. This Order can be obtained during the dissolution proceedings or after the dissolution proceedings have been completed. A clean break Order stops future financial claims and gives peace of mind. If there is no clean break Order you potentially could bring claims against your ex-partner. There is no time limit to bring financial Court proceedings after dissolution so it is sensible to get a clean break Order if you want financial security. If you are likely to want to be the one making a financial claim you should not delay speaking to a civil partnership solicitor as waiting may affect the amount of any financial settlement.
