The Civil Partnership Act came into force on 5 December 2005. Civil Partnership is a new legal relationship which can be formed by two people of the same sex. It gives same sex couples the ability to obtain legal recognition for their relationship. Couples who form a civil partnership will have a new legal status of "Civil Partner". Same sex couples who form a civil partnership will have parity of treatment in a wide range of legal matters with those opposite-sex couples who enter into a civil marriage.
To be eligible the couple must be of the same sex, not already in a civil partnership or marriage, be 16 years of age older (though in England, Wales and Northern Ireland individuals who are aged 16 or 17 will have to obtain the written consent of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) before registering a civil partnership) and not be related.
Once registered a civil partnership can only be ended by a formal dissolution or annulment or on the death of one of the parties.
If you want to register a civil partnership you are now able to give formal notice of your intention to do so at Gateshead Register Officer. Please contact us for further advice and information and to make an appointment.
Once each person has given notice of intention to register there will be a 15 day waiting period before the civil partnership can be registered, unless there are exceptional circumstances which require the waiting period to be reduced.
The civil partnership can be registered at a Register Office or another venue that is licensed for the formation of civil partnerships. Any premises licensed for civil marriage are also licensed for the formation of civil partnership. Further information about the licensed venues in Gateshead can be found by clicking on our Approved Premises| page.
As with a civil wedding there is a fee for giving notice and for the formation of the partnership. Please see the fees and charges| page for full details.
We are interested in receiving expressions of interest now from couples who wish to form a partnership in Gateshead. We intend to support registrations with complementary ceremonies and will be happy to discuss arrangements for such celebrations.
For more information please contact us or visit the website of The Women and Equality website, which includes a comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions about many aspects of Civil Partnerships.