Civil Partnerships – What do they really mean?

To enter into a Civil Partnership, couples will need to register their intentions, as do those who enter a civil marriage. Partners must also be:-

(a) of the same gender
(b) not in an existing civil partnership (or marriage)
(c) old enough to marry (i.e. 18 without parental permission, 16 with)(d) not within the legally prohibited degrees of relationship

For the purposes of tax, nationality and immigration, inheritance, liability for maintenance, child support, tenancies, employment\pension benefits and protection from domestic violence. civil partners will be treated like married partners.

The rights and responsibilities civil partners will include:–

(a) a duty to provide reasonable maintenance for your civil partner and any children of the family. Therefore, civil partners are to be assessed in the same way as spouses for child support.
(b) equitable treatment for the purposes of life assurance. employment and pension benefits
and recognition under intestacy rules.
(c) access to fatal accidents compensation
(d) protection from domestic violence
(e) recognition for immigration and nationality purposes

How do you go about a Civil Registration?

First you need to register with a registrar. There is a 15 day notice period which is posted in the registry office. In respect to Civil Partnerships anonymity is respected. You do not have to register in your home county or list your address, but you do have to list your names, ages and occupations.

What if there is a breakdown of the relationship?

There is a dissolution process similar to divorce, insofar as:

(a) it is decided in Court
(b) division of assets (property), alimony, take into account length of partnership, dependency/contributions, and children\custody etc.

(d) by consent after 2 years of separation, without consent after 5 years.
(c) grounds (as for marriage except adultery/ non-consummation). Including unreasonable behaviour and desertion. *NOTE In a civil divorce case in a Canadian Court in Canada, August 2005, the Judge ruled that in respect of the proceedings by the wife against the husband for dissolution of the marriage, the sexual relationship which occurred between the man and another man fell within the definition of adultery. It is therefore not known at this time whether the effects of that adjustment to definition may (1) find its way into UK Law and\or (2) if it does, whether that may affect the exceptions to grounds stated in (c) above. For a report on this, CLICK HERE

Pensions:-

Workers will have the same right to survivors’ pensions for their civil partners that they have now for their spouses.

Living together and benefits:-

Civil partners will be treated in the same way as married couples in calculating entitlement to means-tested benefits.

NOTICE: The above answers to typical questions about the practicalities of Civil Partnerships are provided as a guide only and do not constitute legal advice which the individual should seek independently in addition to, or instead of, this information.