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Civil partnerships

The Civil Partnership Act 2004  came into effect on 5 December 2005 and enables couples of the same sex to legally form a partnership.

A civil partnership is formed by the signing of a schedule but this is usually carried out as part of a ceremony.

To fulfil legal requirements, couples need to give formal notice of their intention to register a civil partnership at the register office in the district where they live. There then has to be a waiting period of 15 clear days before a registration can take place.

Appointments are necessary for both giving notice of intention to register a civil partnership and the registration itself. Couples wishing to register are able to make a booking by contacting the Medway Register Office.

In addition to registrations and ceremonies at the Medway Register Office, they may also take place at other venues which have been licensed. Fees vary depending on which venue is used.

Registering a civil partnership has many important effects and these include:

  • a duty to provide reasonable maintenance for a civil partner and any children of the family;
  • the assessment of civil partners in the same way as spouses for child support;
  • equitable treatment for the purposes of life assurance;
  • employment and pension benefits;
  • recognition under intestacy rules;
  • access to fatal accidents compensation;
  • recognition for immigration and nationality purposes.

Couples are not eligible to register if:

  • they are not of the same sex;
  • either of them is already a civil partner or lawfully married;
  • either of them is under 16 or;
  • they are related to each other in ways specified by the Act.

Find out more about civil partnerships on GOV.UK.

Customer feedback

At the Medway Register Office we are committed to providing a professional service of a high standard and we welcome your comments. We invite you to complete a brief online survey that will only take a few minutes of your time as your feedback and views would be much appreciated.

We hope that our services are of the quality you expect but if you are not happy with the standard of service that you receive, the council operates a formal complaints procedure to look into matters.

For more information contact Medway Register Office by telephone: 01634 338899 / Fax: 01634 338913 or by email: register.office@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Medway Register Office, Northgate, Rochester, Kent ME1 1LS

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