303-799-8155

What are My Rights if I Dissolve My Civil Union?

What are My Rights if I Dissolve My Civil Union?

Colorado made national headlines when its civil union law took into effect in May 2013. While most same-sex couples celebrated the opportunity to finally tie the knot with their long time partners, other couples celebrated because they finally had a mechanism to get divorced from their current spouse.

This is because same-sex couples who married outside of Colorado were not permitted to get divorced in Colorado under the former law. However, when the civil union bill took effect last May, Coloradan same-sex couples can now get divorced regardless of what state they were married or entered into a civil union.

The even better news for Coloradans who are seeking to dissolve their civil unions is that the civil union law provides the exact same protections as getting divorced in Colorado. This means that a civil union dissolution will address all of the same issues that a divorce would, such as child custody issues, separation of marital assets and debts, and maintenance.

Now that being said, the law is very new and only a small number of couples have taken advantage of this new and exciting law. In my experiences sometimes new laws have a few kinks, and it takes some time for the courts to sort those new kinks out. If you have questions about dissolving a civil union I suggest you contact a family law attorney to advise you on your specific case.

DISCLAIMERS:

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.


Our team includes attorneys licensed to practice in multiple states including April D. Jones in California, Patrick G. Barkman in Texas, the Cherokee Nation, the Northern District of Texas, and the District of Colorado (United States Court of Appeals 10th and 5th Circuit).