Heterosexual Civil Partnerships begin today. Anyone signing on the line ?

[patchworkpatty]

At last , today there is finally a legal process to protect the property, inheritance, pensions and entitlements of all those (mostly) women - who are seriously economically disadvantaged by being in a relationship with children and unmarried . Economic disadvantaged because of reduced earning power and impeded career advancement. Especially for those who are with partners who 'don't believe' in marriage.. or 'don't want a fuss' ..

Or am I being cynical in thinking that 'not believing in marriage' or 'wanting a fuss' really means 'I'm not giving you, the mother of my children any legal right to my home, pensions, savings and belongings. ?

That in fact the only people this new law will help are people with a 'conscientious objection to the patriarchy for marriage'.. who are almost certainly middle class good income earners .
Leaving the vast majority of cohabitating women with children, who earn either nothing or much less than their partners as unprotected as they ever were. ?

Ginfordinner - yep, I think that sums it up for me. I feel it's nice to have a clean slate. Even if I didn't wear the white dress, mention God, get walked down the aisle by my father and given away, promise to love, honour and obey, become man and wife, I would still feel that the ceremony and what it stands for had be coloured by those factors. I am pleased to have an alternative that for me represents an equality in the relationship. However I am also pleased for friends who get married and for the choices they make that feel right for them. Everyone wins!

It'll be interesting to see what happens.

I'm certain that the first people to sign up are going to be middle-class couples with sincerely held beliefs about the patriarchal baggage of marriage, who are probably well aware there's no such thing as a common-law spouse, but beyond that, I don't know.

Is this going to shine a light on the motivations of men who "don't believe in sharing a family income with the mother of their children marriage"?

"The whole objection for marriage as far as I am concerned comes at the end of the "ceremony" be it church or registry office, the bit that goes "you may kiss the bride". Sorry complete stranger but who are you to decide whether I want to be kissed in public or not without my permission."

That's your whole objection? FFS! 😆

I'd be interested to know what it is about CP that people think is so wrong, when many threads advocate getting married only to secure legal rights and financial secruity?

Me too!

And that bit is optional

I don't understand why advocates of marriage get so hot under the collar about this. I'm happy for you that you are married and that you think marriage is fabulous. Why can't those of us who'd prefer not to be married have an alternative, purely administrative option to obtain the same rights? Why does it bother people that there is a choice?

We will definitely be considering this. I don't like marriage for a number of reasons including having to make public declarations of my private feelings. A civil partnership is ideal for us. Sign a contract, job done.

Saying a few words in front of a registrar and a couple of witnesses isn't particularly public. I don't really see the point in creating an unnecessary alternative.

DP and I are planning on having a civil partnership. I know you can get married without the giving away,changing name etc but I still hate all the baggage of becoming a 'wife' w ch for so long meant becoming the property of your husband. The thought of getting married gives me hives but I love the idea of officially 'partnering' dp.

When you get married, you don't even need to say the bit about being free legally to marry, you can just answer "I am" when the registrar asks if you are free to marry.
As opposed to signing a bit of paper that says you are free to form a CP.
Oh and you'll have to wait at least a week to get your CP certificate because it wont be written on the day of the ceremony/signing.

I'd be interested to know what it is about CP that people think is so wrong, when many threads advocate getting married only to secure legal rights and financial security

I wanted to know, but had my answer several posts up. I now understand the difference. Good luck to everyone whatever you choose.

"Saying a few words in front of a Registrar" is still having to declare something out loud to a stranger. If DP and I, as equal partners, want to enter into a binding legal contract about the sharing of assets why can't we do that administratively without having announce it verbally?

Why is an alternative unnecessary just because some people prefer something else?

To be clear, I am 100% in favour of CP because protection for some (I suspect mostly middle class women with independent income ) will also be legally ensured in matters of inheritance and Pensions.

My issue is that it will not ' provide protection for ALL women who are currently in 'common law' relationships. As the media is portraying.

BBC aren’t saying that.

I don’t really understand the point of it. One of my (female) colleagues was saying this morning that she’s now planning to have a civil partnership with her male DP, as they don’t want to get married (but want to avoid inheritance tax). A bit sad that the institution of marriage is being eroded.

Err why?

Fgs if you don't like them, don't get one! Your marriage isn't any less valid or valuable, it's just there's an alternative for people who so choose it. Eroded indeed...🙄

Re “this sharing of assets” thang. It’s only a thang upon divorce. During marriage, what’s solely yours remains so to do with as you wish.

Getting married is signing up to the matrimonial causes act 1973 for financial allocation rules when ‘shit happens’ comes to pass some time in the distant future.

If you move abroad and subsequently split up does it give you any legal rights to proprty etc in another country?

If you move abroad and subsequently split up does it give you any legal rights to proprty etc in another country?

That completely depends on the country in question. Some will treat you as if you are married. Some will treat you as if you are living together and some will have a completely different regime for people in a marriage and civil relationship and may treat you like the latter. In particular, if the country in question doesn't recognise CPs you could find yourself without any mechanism to get the partnership dissolved in that country. Of course rules for married people also vary between countries but if you were emigrating and in a CP I would want to be quite careful about the legal position as it is much more complex and uncertain.

You can't convert an opposite sex CP to marriage (you can for same sex) so if you decided that you would be better off being married in a particular country then you'd have to go through the dissolution process first and then marry.

You do get your CP certificate straight after the ceremony, we did

Then you were lucky, because not all districts issue on the day.