LGBT Carers Group newsletter, July 2005

Note: Highlights of this edition are available online. Click on the article titles at the bottom of this page to read each article. A downloadable pdf version of the newsletter is also available.

Legislation for the Civil Partnership Act will come into force on 5 December this year. The first civil partnerships will be registered on 21 December, after the 15-day waiting period has passed.

A civil partnership provides legal recognition to same-sex partnerships. Couples will be given similar treatment to married couples across a whole range of areas - including tax law, pensions, benefits, inheritance, tenancy rights and recognition for immigration and nationality purposes.

Details about how to register are available on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) website (see below). Additional details, including some which require parliamentary approval, will be set out in secondary legislation, which will be laid before parliament during the next couple of months.

Some of the procedures differ from those set out in the Civil Partnership Act. This is because the provisions in the act were drafted to be compatible with proposals for the reform of marriage law. These reforms have been postponed, so the procedures for civil partnership have been adapted so that they are compatible with the current procedures for civil marriage.

Some people may be concerned about being able to register for a civil partnership when one partner has dementia. If you have concerns or questions on this matter or on any other issue regarding civil partnerships, please contact the network on 0161 428 1556.