Civil partner

Civil partnerships in the United Kingdom, granted under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, allow same-sex couples to obtain essentially the same rights and responsibilities as civil marriage. Civil partners are entitled to the same property rights as married opposite-sex couples, the same exemption as married couples on inheritance tax, social security and pension benefits, and also the ability to get parental responsibility for a partner's children, as well as responsibility for reasonable maintenance of one's partner and their children, tenancy rights, full life insurance recognition, next of kin rights in hospitals, and others. There is a formal process for dissolving partnerships akin to divorce.

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 legalised full same-sex marriage in England and Wales starting from March 2014, although civil partnership also remains available. Later in 2014 it is planned to grant those in a civil partnership in England or Wales the ability to convert their partnership into a marriage. The equivalent Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 does not grant that ability, but includes provision for its later introduction, and does permit those already in civil partnership with one another to marry without first dissolving the mutual civil partnership.

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