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Partnership

• The Civil Partnership Act
  
  
• Civil Partnership: All you need to know
  
  
• Get Hitched: Stonewall's guide to civil
  partnership
  
  
• Help Stonewall whilst Getting Hitched!
  
  
• Other related information

Civil Partnership

With the help of our supporters, Stonewall successfully campaigned for same-sex partnership rights and the Civil Partnership Act was passed on 18 November 2004. Lesbians, gay men and bisexual people have loving, stable relationships just like anyone else. At last, the Civil Partnership Act makes it possible for those couples to enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual married couples.

Before civil partnership, same-sex couples could be in relationships for their whole lives but had no pension rights, often had their homes threatened or lost to inheritance tax and had no status as next of kin in the event of the death of one partner.

The Civil Partnership Act came into effect on 5th December 2005 and as there is a 15 day notification period, the first partnerships were formed on 21st December 2005. Now lesbian and gay couples also have the opportunity to secure legal status for their relationships.

The Civil Partnership Act applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Related information:

• If you would like up-to-date statistical information on the numbers of civil partnerships carried out, please see the Office of National Statistics website.
  
  
• If you would like information on same-sex partnerships and domestic violence, please click here.
  
  
• If you would like information and help about forced marriages, you can download a booklet for lesbian, gay and bisexual people written by the Government's Forced Marriage Unit here.
  
  

	Civil partnership registration underlines the inherent value of committed same-sex relationships. It supports stable families and shows that we really respect the diversity of the society we live in. It opens the way to respect, recognition and justice for those who have been denied it too long. Jacqui Smith MP, Minister for Equality, June 2003

If you cannot find the information you need on this website, you can call our info line on 08000 50 20 20 (Mon-Fri 9.30am- 5.30pm) and we will try to point you in the right direction.