Entering into a civil partnership
Civil partnerships enable couples to get legal recognition of their relationship without having to get married. They originally applied only to same-sex couples, but have since been extended to opposite-sex couples in England & Wales (December 2019), Northern Ireland (January 2020) and Scotland (June 2021).
Civil partners have equal treatment to married couples in a wide range of legal matters, 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 (England and Wales only)
- Inheritance of a tenancy agreement
- Recognition under intestacy rules
- Access to damages or compensation
- Protection from domestic violence
- Recognition for immigration and nationality purposes
Minimum age for entering into a civil partnership
The minimum age at which you can enter into a civil partnership varies, depending on where you live:
- In England and Wales, you can enter into a civil partnership from the age of 16 if you have parental consent. Without parental consent, you can enter into a civil partnership at 18. A law has been passed to remove the 'aged 16' option, but is not yet in force.
- In Northern Ireland, you can enter into a civil partnership from the age of 16 if you have parental consent. Without parental consent, you can enter into a civil partnership at 18.
- In Scotland, you can enter into a civil partnership from the age of 16, with or without parental consent.
Considerations before entering into a civil partnership
There are many things to consider before entering into a civil partnership, such as:
In this section of the law guide, we explore all of these issues relating to entering into a civil partnership. Click on the links on the left hand side of the page to find out more information on all of these topics relating to your civil partnership.