This document provides general guidance regarding the procedure for dissolving a Civil partnership, where those proceedings were issued by the court before 6 April 2022. Your family lawyer will be able to provide specific advice based on your circumstances.

How do I apply for a Dissolution?

To apply for a civil partnership dissolution (the civil partnership terminology for divorce) your civil partnership must have been entered into at least a year prior to the application for dissolution. It doesn’t matter where in the world you formalised your relationship, but you can only apply for a dissolution in England and Wales if either you or your civil partner meet certain residence conditions or are domiciled here. You should speak to your family lawyer about this if you are in any doubt.

The dissolution process is generally administrative. This means that usually neither of you will need to see a judge to get a dissolution, as it is almost always agreed by a judge on the paperwork. The process is simple as long as your partner does not decide