Civil Partnerships
What is a Civil Partnership?
A Civil Partnership is formed between same sex couples who register their partnership to gain legal recognition of their relationship. The Civil Partnership Act is recognised throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and provides couples with the same benefits as married couples in a wide variety of legal matters. More detailed information on this can be found at http://www.stonewall.org.uk/ or http://www.gro.gov.uk/Who can register?
In order to register for a Civil Partnership, it is essential that couples:
- Are of the same sex
- Are both over sixteen years of age
- Are not already in a civil partnership or lawfully married.
What are the legal requirements to register your partnership?
You will need to make an appointment at your local register office to give notice of your intention to register your partnership.
Your local register office is in an area where you have both resided for at least seven days prior to giving notice.
You will need to produce certain documents such as birth certificates. Check in advance with the registrar to confirm what is needed. To protect your privacy, on giving notice, your address will not be published. If your local register office is York, please telephone 01904 654477.
You both have to give notice at least fifteen clear days before the formation of your partnership can take place. After this 15 clear day period, you will be able to register your partnership. You do not need to be living together to do this.
Your partnership registration will take place in the presence of a registration officer and your two witnesses. A document will be signed by all parties. The procedure is very similar to that undertaken by couples wishing to marry. Please contact your local register office for information as to fees.
Civil Partnership Ceremonies
The Civil Partnership ceremony can either take place at a register office or in one of the many venues licensed to hold civil ceremonies in York.
You may wish to hold your civil partnership ceremony in a licensed venue outside your home district. This is possible, but you will still need to give a notice of partnership in the district in which you live.
You can discuss these arrangements with your local registry office. It is important to note that if you decide to have a ceremony, the style and any additional words will have to be discussed with the registrar. Please note that the wording will have no legal significance.
Overseas Ceremonies
If the Civil Partnership ceremony is held overseas, the declaration must meet with the Civil Partnership Act of England, Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland. For further details and to confirm this requirement, schedule 20 of the Act sets out which overseas relationships are eligible. You can confirm this by visiting www.gro.gov.uk
If that relationship meets the requirements of the Civil Partnership Act you will not need to register in the UK as well.
Adopting a surname
When the Civil Partnership Ceremony has taken place you will be known as ‘Civil Partners' but will not automatically take on a change of surname.