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Civil Partnership Act 2004

The Act

8.The Act is in 8 Parts and has 30 Schedules.

9.Part 1 describes how a civil partnership is formed and how it ends.

10.Part 2 sets out the arrangements for civil partnerships in England and Wales.

  • Chapter 1 makes provision for the formation of a civil partnership by registration.

  • Chapter 2 makes provision for the dissolution of a civil partnership, nullity and other proceedings.

  • Chapter 3 makes provision for property and financial arrangements.

  • Chapter 4 sets out the effect of agreeing to form a civil partnership.

  • Chapter 5 covers issues relating to children.

  • Chapter 6 covers other miscellaneous provisions.

11.Part 3 sets out the arrangements for civil partnerships in Scotland.

  • Chapter 1 deals with formation and eligibility.

  • Chapter 2 makes provision for the formation of a civil partnership by registration.

  • Chapter 3 makes provision relating to occupancy rights and tenancies.

  • Chapter 4 makes provision for interdicts.

  • Chapter 5 makes provision for the dissolution of a civil partnership, separation and nullity.

  • Chapter 6 covers other miscellaneous provisions and matters of interpretation.

12.Part 4 makes provision for civil partnerships in Northern Ireland.

  • Chapter 1 makes provision for the formation of a civil partnership by registration.

  • Chapter 2 makes provision regarding dissolution, nullity and other proceedings.

  • Chapter 3 makes provisions for property and financial arrangements.

  • Chapter 4 sets out the effect of agreeing to form a civil partnership.

  • Chapter 5 covers issues relating to children.

  • Chapter 6 covers other miscellaneous provisions.

13.Part 5 deals with civil partnerships formed or dissolved abroad.

  • Chapter 1 makes provision for registration outside the UK under the provisions of an Order in Council.

  • Chapter 2 makes provision for certain overseas relationships to be treated as civil partnerships.

  • Chapter 3 sets out the circumstances in which courts in the UK will have jurisdiction in relation to the dissolution or annulment of a civil partnership or the legal separation of civil partners, and makes provision for recognition of dissolutions etc. obtained in other parts of or outside the UK.

  • Chapter 4 covers other miscellaneous and supplementary matters.

14.Part 6 deals with relationships arising through civil partnership.

15.Part 7 contains miscellaneous provisions including those relating to social security, child support and tax credits.

16.Part 8 contains supplementary material such as powers to make regulations and orders, commencement and extent.

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

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