FC v WC (declarations relating to dissolution of French PACS)

Zoe Harrison (instructed by Claire Devine of Marc White & Co., solicitors) for the Applicant

This judgment was handed down remotely at 10.00am on 21 October 2024 by circulation to the parties or their representatives by e-mail and by release to the National Archives.

      The applicant and respondent are British nationals. They are in a loving, committed, long-term relationship, and have every intention of remaining so. In 2019, when living in France, they entered into a French form of civil partnership, a 'PACS'. In 2022 they returned to live in England. Their intention was to dissolve the PACS and enter into a civil partnership in this jurisdiction. They had been given to understand that this was extremely simple, but unfortunately, they have found themselves embroiled in a tangle of red tape.

      A way has been found through their difficulty. I have made two declarations that confirm the parties' PACS has been dissolved, and they are free to enter into a civil partnership in this jurisdiction. In this judgment, which follows on from that decision, I set out the background, the evidence considered, and the route taken to resolve the issue. I am grateful to the applicant's solicitor Claire Devine, and her barrister Zoe Harrison, for their assistance.

      The respondent was not technically represented, but he is fully aligned to the applicant's position, and has contributed to the joint witness statement.