Figures just released by the Office for National Statistics show that, since it became possible for same sex couples to register a Civil Partnership in December 2005, the number of such partnerships legally dissolved shot up by 20% last year, and has more than doubled in the last three years.
Previous trends have shown that the first ten years of heterosexual marriage are the most vulnerable to breakdown and divorce, and the same seems to be true too of Civil Partnerships.
A Civil Partnership can be “dissolved” in the same way as a marriage, by Court proceedings which are in most ways identical to a Divorce. The grounds for Dissolution of a Civil Partnership are the same, save that adultery is not included.
The Court of Appeal case of Lawrence –v- Gallagher, decided in March 2012, also established that financial claims made by Civil Partners on Dissolution are dealt with in the same way as those made by married couples on Divorce. In that case, the Court awarded West End actor, Donald Gallagher, a lump sum of £350,000.00 and a £200,000.00 pension share on the dissolution of his partnership with City Analyst, Peter Lawrence.