(1)For the purposes of this Act, a person (“A”) is a member of another’s (“B’s”) family if—
(a)A is the spouse [F1or civil partner] of B, or A and B live together as husband and wife or in a relationship which has the characteristics of the relationship between husband and wife except that the persons are of the same sex, or
(b)A is B’s parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece.
(2)For the purpose of subsection (1)(b)—
(a)a relationship by marriage [F2or by virtue of civil partnership] is to be treated as a relationship by blood,
(b)a relationship of the half-blood is to be treated as a relationship of the whole blood,
(c)the stepchild of a person is to be treated as that person’s child, and
(d)a person brought up or treated by another person as if the person were the child of the other person is to be treated as that person’s child.
(3)In section 83 (members of a person’s family) of the 1987 Act—
(a)in subsection (1)(a), after “wife” insert “ or in a relationship which has the characteristics of the relationship between husband and wife except that the persons are of the same sex ”,
(b)in subsection (2), after paragraph (c) insert—
“(ca)a person brought up or treated by another person as if the person were the child of the other person shall be treated as that person’s child;”,
(c)after subsection (2) insert—
“(3)Except in subsection (1)(a), references in this Act to a person’s spouse include references to another person living together with that person as husband and wife or in a relationship which has the characteristics of the relationship between husband and wife except that the persons are of the same sex.”
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 108(1)(a) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(10)(c), Sch. 28 para. 64(2); S.S.I. 2005/604, arts. 2(c), 4
F2Words in s. 108(2)(a) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 263(10)(c), Sch. 28 para. 64(3); S.S.I. 2005/604, arts. 2(c), 4
Commencement Information
I1S. 108 wholly in force at 1.10.2001, see s. 113 and S.S.I. 2001/336, art. 2(2), Sch. Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in art. 3) (as amended by S.S.I. 2001/397, art. 7(b))