As the government prepares to legislate to allow opposite-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships, Jonathan Lyness considers the differences with marriage - and the continuing financial vulnerability of cohabitees
This time last month, the government announced its intention to legislate to allow opposite-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships. Although the precise timeframe for reform is yet to be confirmed, the announcement is undoubtedly to be welcomed. For the unacquainted, civil partnerships were introduced in 2004 to provide legal recognition of same-sex relationships outside of marriage. The Civil Partnership Act specifically states they are "relationship[s] between two people of the same sex" - thereby excluding opposite-sex couples. Since the introduction of marriage equality in 2...
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