Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Dissolution definition

What does Dissolution mean? In family law, dissolution is the court process that ends a civil partnership and restores each partner to single status. It is the route used to end both same‑sex and opposite‑sex civil partnerships in the UK, and remaining same‑sex civil partnerships in Ireland. In England and Wales, dissolution is a statutory process under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, as amended by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020: a sole or joint application supported by a statement of irretrievable breakdown leads (after a minimum 20‑week period) to a conditional order and then a final order. Northern Ireland now operates a...

England and Wales: Two Years' Separation with Consent Divorce (Pre-6 April 2022)—Living Apart, Period Calculation, Proving Consent, Rescission, Decree Absolute Restrictions, Defective Petitions

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note summarises the law in relation to divorce proceedings relying on two years' separation and consent issued prior to 6 April 2022.

It outlines what amounts to living apart, how to work out the two-year timeframe, and the evidential requirements for consent. It also addresses when a respondent can seek the court’s consideration of their financial circumstances post-divorce. See Practice Note: Restrictions on decree being made absolute—divorce.

The Divorce, dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA 2020) took effect on 6 April 2022. Cases issued on or after that date fall under DDSA 2020 and the revised procedure in the amended family procedure rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955. For more detail, see Practice Note: Introduction to the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020.

Applications issued on or before 5 April 2022 proceed under the previous law, whether filed through the digital system or on paper, and are unaffected by the commencement of DDSA 2020 and related procedural amendments. This document sets out the position for proceedings issued before 6 April 2022...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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