You are here: Home > Family and Relationships > Separation, divorce and dissolution > Legal options following the breakdown of a civil partnership

Print Page Send to a Friend

Legal options following the breakdown of a civil partnership

Information

When a civil partnership first breaks up, the civil partners can informally separate and live apart. A civil partnership breakdown can affect all areas of a person' s life and most people will go on to regulate matters between them in a legal context. There are two different ways of doing this:

A separation agreement is reached through agreement between the parties and agreement can be achieved in a number of ways. However, only a decree of dissolution dissolves the civil partnership and allows each party to marry or enter into a new civil partnership.

In specific circumstances, a court can grant a nullity decree. The effect of a nullity decree is that the court determines that no civil partnership ever existed. The law in relation to nullity is complex, and you should always seek legal advice to assess whether the circumstances exist for a nullity application.

Page updated: 24 February 2011

Language

Gaeilge

Related Documents

Contact Us

If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.