{"id":11216,"date":"2023-06-24T07:11:18","date_gmt":"2023-06-24T07:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/?page_id=11216"},"modified":"2023-09-19T11:30:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T11:30:01","slug":"separation-checklist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/separation-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Separation or Divorce: A List of What You Need to Know and Do"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a rule, when relationships end it is a time to make important decisions and reach agreements.<\/p>\n<p>So, it is useful for couples to understand what they need to do when separating or divorcing.<\/p>\n<p>Ending a relationship, whether a marriage or a civil partnership, usually means finding a way to agree on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Child arrangements (often called &#8216;custody&#8217;).<\/li>\n<li>Child maintenance payments.<\/li>\n<li>Sharing out money and property.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: This guide explains what you need to do when separating or divorcing in England or Wales. There are some differences if you separate from your partner in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygov.scot\/separation-agreement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scotland<\/a> and in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nidirect.gov.uk\/information-and-services\/parents\/divorce-relationship-breakdown-and-family-courts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Northern Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>If there are Children in the Relationship<\/h2>\n<p>You will need to share financial support for any children that you and your ex-partner have. But, there are several ways to arrange child maintenance, including <a href=\"\/rules\/children\/parenting\/arranging-child-maintenance-yourself\/\">making a family-based arrangement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There are specific rules on <a href=\"\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/child-arrangements\/\">making child arrangements if you divorce or separate<\/a> in England or in Wales. You must make suitable arrangements for taking care of your children.<\/p>\n<p>Finding some agreement on these things is only one part of a separating or divorcing checklist. It is separate from carrying out the legal paperwork needed to bring an official end to a relationship.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>If Married or Living in a Civil Partnership<\/h2>\n<p>In most cases, you will need to find <a href=\"\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/money-and-property\/\">a fair way of dividing money and property<\/a> (and some possessions). You would need to apply to a court to make it &#8216;legally&#8217; binding.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Do it before you finalise the legal paperwork for getting divorced or dissolving a civil partnership. But, your rights differ when <a href=\"\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/sorting-finances-after-common-law-separation\/\">sorting out finances on separation after cohabiting<\/a> (not married or in a civil partnership).<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Ending a Marriage<\/h2>\n<p>The only official way to end a marriage is to <a href=\"\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/getting-a-divorce\/\">get a divorce<\/a> (in England or Wales). Even so, there are several other options besides divorcing an ex-partner, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Living apart without completely ending the marriage by <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/citizenship\/getting-a-legal-separation\/\">getting a judicial separation<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Applying to the court to <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/citizenship\/getting-a-marriage-annulled\/\">annul a marriage<\/a> that is &#8216;void&#8217; (not legally valid) or &#8216;voidable&#8217; (defective).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Ending a Civil Partnership<\/h2>\n<p>There is an official way to <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/citizenship\/end-a-civil-partnership\/\">end a civil partnership<\/a> (also known as dissolving it). You can also choose to <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/citizenship\/getting-a-legal-separation\/\">get a legal separation<\/a> instead. This option may suit you if you prefer living apart without ending the civil partnership.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Making Agreements on Children, Money, and Property<\/h2>\n<p>As a rule, if you can make agreements between yourselves you can avoid having to attend court hearings. But, the court will still need legal paperwork to &#8216;officially&#8217; end the relationship, or grant &#8216;legally&#8217; binding agreements.<\/p>\n<p>Often, using independent mediation can help parting couples reach amicable agreements. If so, <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/courts\/legal-aid\/\">check if you can get legal aid<\/a> for using mediation services.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Anyone separating from an abusive partner should qualify. In most cases, <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/courts\/legal-aid\/victims-of-domestic-abuse-or-violence.\">legal aid for victims of domestic abuse or violence<\/a> would help to pay the court costs.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Getting Expert Advice and Information<\/h2>\n<p>Several organisations specialise in dealing with legal paperwork and making arrangements. Contact the <a href=\"\/rules\/legal\/citizenship\/\">Citizens Advice<\/a> or &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.advicenow.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sorting Out Separation<\/a>&#8216; for further help for separated families.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"updated-data\"><strong>What You Need to Do When Ending a Relationship in the United Kingdom<\/strong><br \/>\n  <time datetime=\"2022-01-01\">Last Updated 2022<\/time><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a rule, when relationships end it is a time to make important decisions and reach agreements. So, it is useful for couples to understand what they need to do when separating or divorcing. Ending a relationship, whether a marriage or a civil partnership, usually means finding a way to agree on: Child arrangements (often&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/separation-checklist\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Separation or Divorce: A List of What You Need to Know and Do<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2538,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Separation or Divorce: A List of What You Need to Know and Do - UK Rules<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theukrules.co.uk\/rules\/children\/childcare\/divorce\/separation-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Separation or Divorce: A List of What You Need to Know and Do - UK Rules\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As a rule, when relationships end it is a time to make important decisions and reach agreements. 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