CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

Some Civil Partnerships will fail. The Partnership will have to be formally dissolved through the Courts; this is legally referred to as "civil partnership dissolution" and not "divorce".

Under the new Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 the only reason for the dissolution of a civil partnership is irretrievable breakdown.  Either party can apply for the dissolution or both parties can do so jointly without having to apportion blame as used to be the case.  The application must be accompanied by a statement by the applicant or applicants that the civil partnership has broken down irretrievably.

The court dealing with an application must take the statement to be conclusive evidence that the civil partnership has broken down irretrievably, and make a dissolution order.

Separating civil partners have the same financial legal remedies as divorcing couples. If you're in a civil partnership you have rights to claim maintenance, lump sum payments, property transfer and pension sharing/attachment orders.

After the dissolution of your civil partnership you can acquire parental responsibility of your civil partner's child by agreement or Court order thereby conferring all the rights and responsibilities that divorcing parents retain in relation to children. It is possible for separating civil partners to apply for a child arrangements order regulating arrangements relating to whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with.