Whether you need to end a civil partnership or are simply looking to clarify what would happen in the future if your relationship ended, our civil partnership solicitors can provide expert advice and support.
You might be looking to dissolve your civil partnership or thinking about legal separation as an alternative or interim step. Or you may want to put in place a legal agreement that says what would happen to your finances and any children you have if you were to part. We offer empathetic, expert legal support for all of these issues and more.
At Preston Redman, we regularly work with clients from Bournemouth, Poole, across Dorset and beyond. Our team will be happy to advise you over the phone, via email and through videoconferencing, as well as in person for your convenience.
To speak to one of our friendly, highly experienced civil partnership solicitors in Bournemouth, please contact Janine Bryant at our Bournemouth office on 01202 292 424 or fill in our online enquiry form for a quick response.
How our civil partnership solicitors can help you
Our civil partnership solicitors can aid with matters such as:
- Pre-civil partnership agreements
- Post-civil partnership agreements
- Civil partnership dissolution
- Separation agreements
Pre-civil partnership agreements
A pre-civil partnership agreement is equivalent to a prenuptial agreement for divorce. It is sometimes called a ‘pre-civ’ or a ‘pre-registration agreement’. We can help to negotiate, draft and review a pre-civil partnership agreement, making sure your best interests are protected. We can also advise on its application if you do one day separate.
Read more about how our lawyers can help with prenuptial and pre-civil partnership agreements.
Post-civil partnership agreements
A post-civil partnership agreement offers the same protection as a pre-civ agreement but can be made at any point after your partnership has been registered. We can assist with all aspects of these agreements, making sure they are fair to you, reflect your current circumstances and account for any children.
Read more about how our lawyers can help with postnuptial and post-civil partnership agreements.
Civil partnership dissolution
Ending a civil partnership can be a very difficult decision, but the process does not need to be traumatic. Our civil partnership solicitors can guide you through the legal process, as well as support you with dividing your finances and making arrangements for children.
Separation agreements
If you no longer wish to live together but don’t want to dissolve your partnership, a legal separation may be a good option. A separation agreement can let you start to live separate lives while agreeing on how your finances will be dealt with and making any necessary arrangements for children. This can be a prelude to dissolving your civil partnership or an alternative to doing so if you would prefer to avoid legally ending your relationship.
We can advise on how separation agreements work and whether this is likely to be suitable for your circumstances. We can then assist with negotiating, drafting and reviewing the agreement to make sure it fully meets your requirements.
Read more about how our lawyers can help with separation agreements.
Common questions about civil partnerships
How do you end a civil partnership?
The equivalent to divorce for a civil partnership is ‘civil partnership dissolution’, also known as ‘dissolving a civil partnership’. Following legal reforms introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, the process for ending a civil partnership is essentially the same as for divorce.
You and your partner can apply for the dissolution of your civil partnership together (a ‘joint application’), or either of you can apply alone (a ‘sole application’). The application will need to include a ‘statement of irretrievable breakdown’, confirming that your relationship is over. Under the new rules, you no longer need to give a reason for this, and neither partner needs to take the blame for the relationship ending.
If you have made a joint application, the family court will formally issue the divorce application. You must then wait a minimum of 20 weeks, at which point you can apply for a ‘conditional order’. Once this is granted, you must wait a further 6 weeks before you can apply for the ‘final order’ that legally ends your civil partnership.
If a sole application is made, the process is the same but with one additional step. After the application has been made, the court will issue the application to the partner who did not apply for the dissolution (known as the ‘respondent’).
The respondent will have 14 days from receipt of the application to complete an ‘acknowledgement of service’, confirming that they have received the application. The applicant will then be able to apply for the conditional order and final order in the same manner as for a joint application.
If the applicant fails to apply for the final order within 3 months after the 6-week wait period ends, the respondent can apply for it instead.
Can you stop a civil partnership dissolution?
Under the new civil partnership dissolution rules in place from 6 April 2022, it is no longer possible to oppose a dissolution started by your partner in most cases. The only circumstances in which you can do this are if there is a legal reason the dissolution cannot be granted, e.g. the English and Welsh courts do not have the jurisdiction to do so, your civil partnership was never valid, or it has already ended.
If the applicant or applicants wish to withdraw their application, they can do so before the final order is granted. The 20-week and 6-week wait to apply for the conditional order and final order respectively are designed to give time for the partners to reflect for exactly this reason.
Is a pre-civil partnership agreement legally binding?
Pre- and post-civil partnership agreements are not strictly legally binding, but they will usually be considered by a court if needed, as long as the agreement was properly prepared.
The agreement will need to be in writing, be fair to both partners, and each should have independent legal advice before signing. A pre-civil partnership agreement will need to be signed at least 28 days before the civil partnership ceremony, and full disclosure will need to be made of each party’s finances. The agreement must also not disadvantage any children either partner has.
Why choose Preston Redman’s civil partnership solicitors?
Family law can be complicated, both legally and emotionally. Our team take pride in offering an empathetic service and first-rate legal expertise. This ensures we can help you to navigate even the most challenging issues to get the future you and your loved one’s need.
We have been awarded the Law Society’s Family Law Advanced accreditation in recognition of our exceptional expertise and the service we provide. Many of our family and children team are members of Resolution, the UK’s leading family law association which focuses on removing conflict from divorce, civil partnership dissolution and related proceedings.
Our civil partnership solicitors’ fees
Fixed fees
We can deal with many civil partnership matters on a fixed fee basis. This means we will agree a price at the outset and, as long as your needs do not change, then this is exactly what you will pay, with no hidden costs.
Hourly rates
For more complex matters, it may be more appropriate to work on an hourly basis. This allows us to give exactly the level of support you require while you stay in complete control over the costs involved. We offer competitive hourly rates based on the level of expertise you need.
Get in touch with our civil partnership solicitors in Bournemouth
To speak to one of our friendly, highly experienced family law solicitors, please contact Janine Bryant at our Bournemouth office on 01202 292 424 or fill in our online enquiry form for a quick response.