What is the point of civil partnerships?

[BeautifulSunshine]

AAA I think you've over simplified, yes money can be an import part of an in law "legal partnership" rather than that of an over the broom relationship, but having the bit of paper that proves a relationship confers other rights.
Playing on the examples of blythburgh, if a partner in a couple was ill and unable to communicate, the partner of the legally bonded couple would be recognised as next of kin with all rights conferred. The partner in the unrecognised (by law) partnership may have no rights even if he/she had x amount of children, and had been together for 50 years. Conclusion, its not time, children, love, commitment, money or the investment of all these things together that makes a legal partnership. Its only a bit of paper witnessed by a register, signed by the partners and witnesses, then stamped.
The wedding bit of a marriage/civil partnership is basically the romantic unimportant bit (in Law) just that stamped bit of paper. Just like any business partnership.

I appreciate the clarification.

[blythburgh]

AAA I think you've over simplified, yes money can be an import part of an in law "legal partnership" rather than that of an over the broom relationship, but having the bit of paper that proves a relationship confers other rights.
Playing on the examples of blythburgh, if a partner in a couple was ill and unable to communicate, the partner of the legally bonded couple would be recognised as next of kin with all rights conferred. The partner in the unrecognised (by law) partnership may have no rights even if he/she had x amount of children, and had been together for 50 years. Conclusion, its not time, children, love, commitment, money or the investment of all these things together that makes a legal partnership. Its only a bit of paper witnessed by a register, signed by the partners and witnesses, then stamped.
The wedding bit of a marriage/civil partnership is basically the romantic unimportant bit (in Law) just that stamped bit of paper. Just like any business partnership.

So true, a former neighbour discovered his partner would not get his pension when he died so they went into town, asked a couple of strangers to be witnesses and got married. A really nasty divorce had put her off marrying. The tragic thing is she died of cancer before he even retired.

Another of "why the heck did I bother to remember this" things. A couple lived together for many years, the house was in his name but he had a wife he had never divorced. Probably she would not agree and at that time both had to agree to a divorce. He died and the house went to the wife so the partner went to court. The wife kept the house despite the Judge saying it was unfair on the partner the law was clear. The woman who had lived with the man for many more years than the wife was left homeless. They presumably thought the common law wife would protect her but there is no such thing in law.

I am a wife so can turn off my husband's life support and decide on his funeral and get the home. If I was only a "common law wife" I could do none of those. It would be up to his sister to decide these things and if we did not agree it would be her wishes that would be carried out. So the media including social media need to make a big noise and kill the common law wife myth once and for all

[Richard Frost]

Although not as satisfactory as Marriage or Civil Partnership there is the option of Advance decisions (living wills) This can be done alongside a will that leaves everything to your partner.

However I do accept that this does nothing to correct the misconceptions of "Civil law Partners"

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-ad ... decisions/

An advance decision allows you to express your wishes to refuse medical treatment in future. It is sometimes referred to as a living will.

[blythburgh]

Although not as satisfactory as Marriage or Civil Partnership there is the option of Advance decisions (living wills) This can be done alongside a will that leaves everything to your partner.

However I do accept that this does nothing to correct the misconceptions of "Civil law Partners"

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-ad ... decisions/

An advance decision allows you to express your wishes to refuse medical treatment in future. It is sometimes referred to as a living will.

How many people have made a will let alone a living will? Sadly most people think it is only something that should be done when you retire and then many do not even do it then. But sadly every day young people are killed in accidents or are struck down with a sudden fatal illness. A neighbour's son in law knows this only too well. His niece, early 30's and very healthy went to bed with a severe headache. Within hours she was dead, the headache was due to a massive stroke.

[macliam]

I don't have the interest to delve into the differences between marriage and civil partnership, but the point in question is equality. Whilst civil partnership was available to to gay couples, it was not available to heterosexual couples.... and that was a question of inequality. Once civil partnerships were recognised by law, the genie was out of the bottle.....

[kevinchess1]

I had always thought it was the same as a registry office wedding, but apparently there is a subtle difference in the rights it confers.

Well, Marriage needs a specified room dedicated to that use and a person who has the power to marry
Also it's a spoken service
Civil is simply 2 people signing a form
The main issues may be if you travel abroad. Civil won't be recognized in some countries

[kevinchess1]

I don't have the interest to delve into the differences between marriage and civil partnership, but the point in question is equality. Whilst civil partnership was available to to gay couples, it was not available to heterosexual couples.... and that was a question of inequality. Once civil partnerships were recognised by law, the genie was out of the bottle.....

Pretty much my thoughts
I don't see the need for them now that same sex marriage is allowed

[macliam]

I don't have the interest to delve into the differences between marriage and civil partnership, but the point in question is equality. Whilst civil partnership was available to to gay couples, it was not available to heterosexual couples.... and that was a question of inequality. Once civil partnerships were recognised by law, the genie was out of the bottle.....

Pretty much my thoughts
I don't see the need for them now that same sex marriage is allowed

Maybe true, but hard to undo a law passed in haste - hence my allusion to the genie.......

[kevinchess1]

Well, the sensible thing would have been to replace Civil services with Same sex marriage
But governments aren’t noted for Sensible options

[oldboy]

Well, the sensible thing would have been to replace Civil services with Same sex marriage
But governments aren’t noted for Sensible options

I agree with the sentiment, but not the reason. Same sex marriage was stopped by the way religious text has been taken by some religious people. In the Christian bible marriage is between a man and a woman to allow the production of children, I believe similar sentiment is also in the Tora and the Koran, but please correct this if wrong. And that's the reason politicians fudged civil partnerships (then referred to as gay marriage), But when same sex marriage was allowed the politicians messed up by not allowing civil partnerships to be opened to all. The new act may have made more options more complicated but at least were all on a level playing field.