Separating or divorcing: what you need to do

There are certain things you need to do when you separate from your partner in England.

If you have children:

• you and your ex-partner must share financial support for your children (‘child maintenance’)
• you also need to make arrangements to take care of your children.

You need to agree these things is separate from doing legal paperwork to officially end your relationship.

If you’re married or in a civil partnership:

• you need to divide your money and property
• if you want this to be legally binding, you must apply to a court before finalising legal paperwork to divorce or end your civil partnership.

Dividing money and property is different if you’re not married or in a civil partnership.

Ending your marriage:

Get a divorce to officially end your marriage. If you don’t want a divorce, you can:

• get a legal separation so you can live apart without ending the marriage
• annul the marriage if it counts as ‘defective’ or isn’t legally valid.

Ending your civil partnership:

• You can officially end your civil partnership
• Get a legal separation instead if you want to live apart without ending the civil partnership.

Check Separating or divorcing: what you need to do on GOV.UK.