There is only one ground for Civil Partnership Dissolution in England and Wales and this is that the civil partnership has irretrievably broken down.
A dissolution petition can be based on one of the following four facts:
1. One party has behaved unreasonably such that the parties cannot be expected to continue living together;
2. One party has deserted the other for a period of 2 or more years;
3. The parties have been separated for a period of 2 or more years AND both consent to the divorce;
4. The parties have been separated for a period of 5 or more years.
If any of the above apply, you are entitled to petition for Dissolution.
Generally, as with Divorce, Dissolution is dealt with by way of agreement between the parties. In this instance, the Dissolution is simply a paperwork exercise and will rarely require either party to attend Court. There are regrettably some instances where the Dissolution is contested and we have the expertise to advise you on these rare occasions.
The Dissolution Petition is the main document that must be completed and sent to the Court. If you are thinking of preparing the Petition yourself, a blank version of the Petition can be downloaded via the Form Finder at www.justice.gov.uk/forms/hmcts.
The financial aspects of Dissolution are dealt with separately and information in this regard can be found on our Financial Remedy page.