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Home / Expertise / Services / Individuals / Family and Matrimonial / Civil Partnership Dissolution Solicitors
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Civil Partnership Dissolution Solicitors

Ending a civil partnership is a relatively straightforward legal process, but it is important to consider the full implications, especially for your finances and any children you have.

Contact us

Our civil partnership dissolution solicitors know every detail you need to consider and will make sure you separate on the best terms for you and your loved ones.

Your future emotional and financial wellbeing depends on making the right decisions during your civil partnership dissolution.
We offer a personal service tailored to your unique circumstances and the outcome you want to achieve.

Keen to avoid conflict?

We have strong expertise in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution.

Need a fast settlement?

We can assist with options such as arbitration and private financial dispute resolution to achieve swift settlements.

Worried your ex-partner won’t see reason?

We are expert litigators who can robustly represent you in court.

Our civil partnership dissolution solicitors act for clients across the country and from a range of backgrounds.

The majority of our clients are located in London, the South, the South East and East Anglia. We also routinely act in international civil partnership dissolutions.

We routinely advise on high value and complex financial matters. Our expertise includes international assets, businesses, pre-acquired and inherited assets, trusts and third party interests. We also have strong expertise in child law, including in relation to child relocation.

Whether you are at the start of civil partnership dissolution proceedings or have already started working with another law firm but need a second opinion, we are happy to help.

To discuss how our civil partnership dissolution solicitors can help you, please contact your local BDB Pitmans office in LondonCambridgeReading or Southampton.

Our civil partnership dissolution solicitors can advise on

  • Dissolution of civil partnership applications
  • Financial settlements
  • Arrangements for children
  • Relocation with children
  • The effect of a pre-civil partnership agreements
  • Trust of Land Claims (property ownership disputes)
  • Financial claims on behalf of children
  • Child maintenance
  • International civil partnership dissolution
  • Civil partnership dissolution and domestic abuse

Why choose BDB Pitmans for your civil partnership dissolution?

 

  • 1 Independently accredited expertise

    Our family lawyers are consistently recognised by leading legal directories and more widely. We can offer qualified mediators, collaborative lawyers and expert litigators, giving us the range to take the most suitable approach to your civil partnership dissolution.

  • 2 Extensive experience with dissolution of civil partnerships

    A key strength of our team is their breadth and depth of experience. Having advised on all manner of different civil partnership dissolutions, we know exactly what works for the kinds of issues you are facing.

  • 3 A creative, agile approach that achieves results quickly

    Nobody wants a long, drawn out civil partnership dissolution. Our expertise and flexible approach allow us to avoid many common problems and unlock even the most seemingly intractable of issues. This means you can separate faster and on better terms.

  • 4 A partner-led service giving you access to the best expertise

    Every case we take on is overseen by a highly qualified and experienced partner. You can, therefore, be confident that you will receive the best possible advice at all times.

Our civil partnership dissolution fees and flexible funding options

Dissolving a civil partnership can quickly become expensive, so we will clearly advise you at the outset about our fees and all other likely costs you will need to pay.

We work hard to keep our fees competitive. You will receive a realistic estimate of fees following your initial consultation with our team.

We answer your questions about civil partnership dissolution

  • 1 How do you end a civil partnership?

    The process to end a civil partnership changed on 6 April 2022, making it much more straightforward.

    Under the previous rules, you had to evidence why your civil partnership had broken down using one of four detailed reasons. These reasons either required you to blame your partner for the failure of the relationship or wait years to get a dissolution.

    Now, you simply need to make a statement of “irretrievable breakdown” as part of your application to dissolve your civil partnership. There is no need to state the reason for this breakdown. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘no fault civil partnership dissolution’.

    As of 6 April 2022, the process to end a civil partnership is:

    Step 1 – The civil partnership dissolution application

    You must first submit an application for the dissolution of your civil partnership, including a statement of irretrievable breakdown. This is usually done online but can be done on paper if you prefer. You can either apply alone (called a ‘sole application’), or you and your ex-partner can apply together (known as a ‘joint application’).

    Step 2: Service of the application

    A copy of the application will be served on you and your partner. If only one of you has made the application the other will need to respond with an “acknowledgement of service” to confirm you have received the relevant paperwork. If it is a joint application you will both need to respond with an “acknowledgement of service” to confirm you have received the relevant paperwork

    Step 3: The Conditional Order

    Once your application has been processed, there will be a minimum wait of 20 weeks, after which the court will issue the Conditional Order. This is a key step as this order states that the court sees no reason your civil partnership cannot be dissolved.

     

    Step 4: The Final Order

    6 weeks after the Conditional Order is issued, you can apply for the Final Order. This is the court order that legally ends your civil partnership. Once the Final Order has been issued, you are free to enter a new civil partnership, get married or in any other way act as a single person.

  • 2 How long does a civil partnership dissolution take?

    Civil partnership dissolution now takes a minimum of 26 weeks (6 months) under the new rules introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. However, this is just for the process of legally ending the civil partnership. Discussing and agreeing the division of finances or the arrangements for child can take less time or longer depending on the circumstances.

  • 3 How are assets divided in a civil partnership dissolution?

    The starting point for division of finances is a 50:50 split between the separating partners. However, in practice, things are rarely this straightforward. Factors that will be taken into account include what contribution each person has made to the relationship, their reasonable needs for the future and, most importantly, the needs of any children.

    Most separating couples will agree how their property and other assets will be divided amicably through negotiation or alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation and arbitration. However, if you cannot reach an agreement, then it may be necessary to apply to a family court for a Financial Order to decide how your finances will be split.

  • 4 What happens to children when a civil partnership ends?

    Commonly, parents will share the care of their children following the dissolution of a civil partnership. This means children will spend some time living with each parent according to a set pattern agreed between them. In some situations, however, it may be more appropriate for the children to spend more or all of their time with one parent.

    Child arrangements can be agreed voluntarily, or you can apply to a court for a Child Arrangements Order if you are unable to reach an agreement. If a court does need to decide the arrangements for your children, then your children’s wellbeing will be the primary concern.

Speak to our civil partnership dissolution solicitors about how we can help you

To discuss how our civil partnership dissolution solicitors can help you, please contact your local BDB Pitmans office in LondonCambridgeReading or Southampton.

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London
EC1A 7BL

Cambridge
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Reading
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Reading RG1 2LU

Southampton
Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square
Southampton SO15 2BE

 

Reading
The Anchorage, 34 Bridge Street
Reading RG1 2LU

Southampton
Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square
Southampton SO15 2BE

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