Dissolving a CA domestic partnership — same as divorce?
CAquietsail1 month ago
We registered as DPs in 2009 and never converted to marriage. Now ending it. Is the process identical to a divorce?
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✓ Verified answer from a licensed attorney — shown first
Almost. CA Registered Domestic Partnerships are dissolved using the same family-court process and largely the same forms (with 'domestic partnership' replacing 'marriage' on the petition). Two wrinkles: (1) for DPs registered before 2005, the property rules are slightly different — community property treatment isn't fully retroactive. (2) The federal recognition piece (taxes, immigration, federal benefits) is not the same as marriage. If you have substantial joint assets or any federal-benefit angle, that's worth a focused conversation. General guidance.
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Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.