Domestic Partnership Registered in California

If your domestic partnership is registered in California, you have automatically agreed to the jurisdiction of the California courts to end your domestic partnership, even if you move away or have never lived in California. Thus, you do NOT need to meet the residency requirements that married couples must meet.

Domestic Partnership Not Registered in California

If your domestic partnership was NOT registered in California, before filing for dissolution of your domestic partnership you or your domestic partner must have lived in:

• California for the last 6 months, AND
• The county where you plan to file the divorce for the last three (3) months

If you and your domestic partner do not live in California, when you file to end your domestic partnership in California, the court may not be able to make orders about other issues like property and debt, partner support, or your children.

NOTE: If you are in both, a same-sex marriage AND a domestic partnership, and you want to end both at the same time, you must meet the requirements for both.