Dissolution of Civil Partnership
A civil partnership ends only on death, dissolution or annulment.
A dissolution process, similar to divorce, deals with situations where a civil partnership breaks down.
It will be necessary to show that:
- one partner has behaved unreasonably
- the partners have been separated for 2 years and both consent to a Dissolution Order being made
- there has been a continuous 5-year period of separation
- desertion for a continuous period of at least 2 years
When a civil partnership breaks down, the court has more powers to intervene where finances are concerned than when unmarried heterosexual couples separate. They will have the power to:
- declare an interest in the partner’s home
- make maintenance, lump sum and property adjustment orders
- make pension sharing orders
- make financial orders for children
The Government's civil partnership status is not the same thing as gay marriage: only the Netherlands and Belgium have legislated to allow gay marriage.