All things must end. I hope that when you say “Until death do us part” and “I do,” you do remain happily committed to your partner in loving, life-long relationship. Not everyone is so lucky. Sometimes marriages end in divorce. But if a Georgia domestic partnership agreement is not a marriage, it can’t end in divorce. So how does a GA domestic partnership dissolve?
The short answer is mediation or litigation. Because a domestic partnership in Georgia is not legally considered a marriage, family law courts lack jurisdiction to oversee topics like child-care, alimony, child support, division of joint property, etc. The only alternative is to enter into mediation or litigation, where a neutral third party oversees the break-up.
As part of setting up your agreement, your family law attorney may have advised you to decide in detail what happens in the event of a “divorce” if the domestic partnership breaks up. Such a partnership agreement would detail who got what, and if any alimony or other support would need to be paid. Like a prenup, this agreement would save both sides the headache of a messy “divorce,” and the stress and legal fees that go with it.
If this was not covered in your domestic partnership agreement, or if your domestic partnership agreement is going to be contested, we suggest you consult with one of our Georgia domestic partnership agreement attorneys who can assist you with the dissolution of your domestic partnership agreement in accordance with Georgia law.
Tags: GA domestic partnership agreement separation, Georgia Domestic Partnership Agreements, Georgia domestic partnership dissolution, Georgia domestic partnerships divorce