Birth, death and marriage registration

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040033_en_1) came into effect on 5 December 2005.

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.

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 at the Medway Register Office, ceremonies may also take place at other venues which have been licenced.

More details about civil partnership can be found on the General Register Office website (www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/civilpartnerships).

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