Civil Partnerships

A civil partnership gives same sex couples the same legal rights as their married heterosexual counterparts and so requires formal legal proceedings when the relationship breaks down to end the legal agreement between the couple. To do this one of the parties, having been in the civil partnership for at least one year, must file a petition with the court, requesting dissolution of the civil partnership.

One person needs to start the process and they are known as the petitioner. This person is responsible for proving that the civil partnership has irretrievably broken down. They are required to complete a petition and the procedure followed is similar to divorce.

There are no hard and fast rules regarding your financial rights in the breakdown of a relationship and the court will look at each particular situation individually. Matters can also be settled by way of a Consent Order or a Court hearing.

Civil partners may also be able to acquire Parental Responsibility of his or her civil partner’s child.