Although both involve the state-sanctioned legal union between two people, a civil union is legally different from a marriage – and it’s important to know how, especially in the cases of divorce and dissolution. Civil unions in the United States are a state-wide affair – however, their legitimacy may not extend into other states.
Originally, civil unions were created as an alternative for same-sex couples seeking to marry in a state wherein same-sex civil unions were legal – but same-sex civil unions would not have been recognized as legal unions on a federal level. However, since 2015, same-sex civil unions have been converted to marriages, while same-sex couples now have the opportunity to marry instead of seeking a civil union.
However, in other countries, and in the United States, civil unions are still a simplified way to be joined on a state-level, albeit without the benefits and responsibilities that married couples accrue.
Dissolving a civil union, then, is also a much simpler process.
Dissolving a Civil Union
While a marriage often involves a hefty legal battle to undo the financial and legal commitments that couples made to each other prior to a marriage, a civil union does not include the same financial entanglement that a marriage does.
Thus, unlike a divorce procedure, a civil union divorce in Chicago can be pursued either through a notarized statement, or through a court order in the event that going to the notary is an impossibility. Like a marriage, a civil union can also be annulled through legal separation.
If two spouses are separated both domestically and financially, and gain financial independence within a certain period of years – depending upon the laws of their residence – their union can be ruled legally invalid, as long as goodwill exists between both sides of the civil union on the matter of separation.
To ensure that you and your partner properly navigate the details and legalities of a dissolved civil union, contact an experienced attorney to aid you.
