What are Civil Partnerships?
Civil Partnerships are the UK Government's approach to giving comparable
rights to same sex couples as those enjoyed by married heterosexual couples.
Civil partners will have equal treatment in a wide range of legal matters
with married couples, including:
- Tax, including inheritance tax;
- Employment benefits;
- Most state and occupational pension benefits;
- Income related benefits, tax credits and child support;
- Duty to provide reasonable maintenance for your civil partner and any
children of the family;
- Ability to apply for parental responsibility for your civil partner’s
child;
- Inheritance of a tenancy agreement;
- Recognition under intestacy rules;
- Access to fatal accidents compensation;
- Protection from domestic violence; and
- Recognition for immigration and nationality purposes
How does civil partnership differ from marriage?
Civil Partnership is a completely new legal relationship, exclusively for
same-sex couples, distinct from marriage.
There are a small number of differences between civil partnership and marriage,
for example,
- a civil partnership is registered when the second civil partner signs
the relevant document, a civil marriage is registered when the couple exchange
spoken words.
- Opposite-sex couples can opt for a religious or civil marriage ceremony
as they choose, whereas formation of a civil partnership will be an exclusively
civil procedure.
