Civil Partnership Guide
It is now perfectly legal in the UK for two people of the same sex to have a civil ceremony and receive the same legal benefits that heterosexual married couples do. The decision to allow same sex couples to legally ‘marry' marked a huge milestone in the path towards sexuality equality and was certainly welcomed with open arms within London's gay community.
As more and more gay couples decide to take the plunge and commit themselves to one another in a civil partnership, London Gay Man has created the number one guide on everything to do with civil partnerships. Explaining all the legal jargon and setting it out in an uncomplicated, understood-by-all way, there is no need to go anywhere else. Check out the step by step guide below to civil partnerships:
STEP ONE | Giving Notice & Registration
The first step towards becoming civil partners is informing your local registration authority. A protocol, detailed below, must be followed in order for the couple to be legally recognised.
1. Giving Notice
For your civil partnership to be legally recognised, your intention to register a civil partnership must be given to your local registration authority. Both of you must attend this initial presentation of your notice; it is not possible for someone else to do it on your behalf. Two people of the same sex will be able to register a civil partnership as long as:
- Neither of them is under 16 years of age, and
- Neither of them is already a civil partner or lawfully married, and
- They are not classified as relatives who are legally not allowed to register a civil partnership.
In order to initially give notice of your civil partnership, you must provide your local registration authority with evidence of your name, age, nationality and address and pay the fee of £30 per person. If you have previously been married or formed a civil partnership, your local registration authority will need to see evidence that you are now free to form a new civil partnership.
Once you have given your notices, you must wait fifteen full days during which the notices are placed on public display (for security reasons, the address(es) of the couple are not shown). This fifteen-day period is to allow any person to make an objection to the civil partnership before it is registered.
2. Registration
As long as there are no objections registered with your local registration authority during those fifteen days, both of you are legally required to be issued with a civil partnership schedule, which is valid for 12 months from its issue date. You must register the civil partnership before the document expires otherwise the process must be repeated again.
In order to legally register the civil partnership, both of you must sign the document in front of two witnesses and the civil partnership registrar, who are required to sign as well. Moreover, a fee of £40 needs to be paid to register the partnership at a register office.
Although you are not formally required to hold a ceremony (legally you are only required to sign the document in a licensed venue), many same-sex couples like to make the occasion truly special with readings, personal vows, music and flowers. London Gay Man has compiled a list of companies whose speciality is organising gay weddings and ensuring that your big day reflects your own personality and individuality.
Click here for our civil partnership listings
3. Legal Advice
With all the difficult, long-winded legal jargon, we understand that things can get somewhat complicated. Alternative Family Law is a specialist law practice in Central London. The owner, Andrea Woelke, is an accredited expert in family law and is the author of ‘Civil partnership', the leading textbook on same-sex marriages. Based in central London, Alternative Family Law are happy to help any same sex couples who need clarification or advice on their legal standings.
STEP TWO | Organising the Big Day
Organising the big day can be a daunting experience. With so much to think about, the whole event can very quickly become a stressful ordeal. Check out London Gay Man's listings of licensed venues, wedding planners, caterers and honeymoon organisers to make your day extra special.
Here's a quick checklist of things not to forget when organising the day:
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Decide on a date |
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Choose complimentary outfits |
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Give notice and register |
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Send out invitations |
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Work on a budget |
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Order a cake |
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Book a venue for ceremony |
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Order the rings |
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Choose ceremony procedure (vows, order etc.) |
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Book a honeymoon |
STEP THREE | Enjoying the day and the honeymoon
So, you've had the big day…what to do next?
After your civil partnership is recorded in the register office, you will receive your civil partnership certificate (either with or without the address(es) of the couple) at a cost of £3.50. The price increases to £7.00 if you order the certificate after the day on which the ceremony took place. If you would like to take your civil partner's surname, the civil partnership certificate can be used as evidence of this change of name.
Once you have ordered the certificate, it will take approximately 5 working days to be delivered. It can be ordered over the phone by calling +44 (0)845 603 7788, however make sure that you have the details of both partners and the date and place of where the civil partnership took place to hand.
You are now legally recognised as civil partners! To celebrate this special union, many same-sex couples decide to go on a honeymoon and spend some quality time together.
For a list of specialist companies who organise gay honeymoons, or honeymoons for gay people, click here
