Civil Partnerships
Same sex couples can have their relationship legally recognised as ‘civil partnerships’. Civil partners must be treated the same way as married couples on a wide range of legal matters, and so require formal legal proceedings when the relationship breaks down.
If you want legally to end your partnership, you will need to apply to the court for a dissolution order. Your civil partnership must have lasted at least one year before you can apply for a dissolution.
At the end of a civil partnership there is a legal responsibility to support one another, financially, whether or not you have children. If you do have children then you will need to decide what the future arrangements for your children will be.
There are no hard and fast rules regarding your financial rights in the breakdown of a relationship, but there will often be a range of possible solutions to divide the assets in your relationship upon which we can advise and help you.