Civil Partnership Act 2004

101 Occupancy rights

(1) Where, apart from the provisions of this Chapter, one civil partner in a civil partnership is entitled, or permitted by a third party, to occupy a family home of the civil partnership (that civil partner being referred in this Chapter as an “entitled partner”) and the other civil partner is not so entitled or permitted (a “non-entitled partner”), the non-entitled partner has, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, the following rights—

(a) if in occupation, a right to continue to occupy the family home;

(b) if not in occupation, a right to enter into and occupy the family home.

(2) The rights conferred by subsection (1) to continue to occupy or, as the case may be, to enter and occupy the family home include, without prejudice to their generality, the right to do so together with any child of the family.

(3) In subsection (1), an “entitled partner” includes a civil partner who is entitled, or permitted by a third party, to occupy the family home along with an individual who is not the other civil partner only if that individual has waived a right of occupation in favour of the civil partner so entitled or permitted.

(4) If the entitled partner refuses to allow the non-entitled partner to exercise the right conferred by subsection (1)(b), the non-entitled partner may exercise that right only with the leave of the Court of Session or the sheriff under section 103(3) or (4).

(5) A non-entitled partner may renounce in writing the rights mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) only—

(a) in a particular family home, or

(b) in a particular property which it is intended by the civil partners will become their family home.

(6) A renunciation under subsection (5) has effect only if, at the time of making the renunciation, the non-entitled partner swears or affirms before a notary public that it is made freely and without coercion of any kind.

(7) In this Part—

• “child of the family” means a child under the age of 16 years who has been accepted by both civil partners as a child of the family, and

• “family” means the civil partners in the civil partnership, together with any child so accepted by them.

(8) In subsection (6), “notary public” includes any person duly authorised, by the law of the country other than Scotland in which the swearing or affirmation takes place, to administer oaths or receive affirmations in that other country.