Civil Partnership in Scotland

A civil partnership is a legal marriage between same-sex couples which entitles them to receive similar benefits as that of any married couple. Civil partnerships, as of 2021, are available to mixed-sex couples in the United Kingdom.  Now that Same Sex Marriage is legal in Scotland, those already in civil partnership with one another can marry without first dissolving the mutual partnership.

Civil Ceremony Law

UK laww states that no form of religious activity can occur during the process of registering the union. A couple should contact their local registration authority to find out whether or not they can have a ceremony. However, during the registration couples can speak vows before signing the registration. The registration must take place in a legally recognised place and couples must have two witnesses to sign the registration documents.

What is THE Ceremony Like?

The Ceremony is an added extra to the formal aspects of the Civil Partnership Registration. Unlike the registration signing, the ceremony can be held anywhere, including a home. Registrars can conduct a ceremony following the official registration procedure, or a celebrant, or even friend, can conduct the ceremony at another time.

Civil Partnership or marriage?

A civil partnership, like a marriage, is a legal relationship entered into by two people. It needs to be properly registered, and then it provides the couples with the same legal rights and duties that they would have in a marriage. So why not just get married?

Well, and this may shock people reading a wedding website…but not everyone is a fan of marriage!  A civil partnership can offer an alternative to marriage, one without any of the religious or patriarchal overtones of traditional marriage.

From a legal, financial, and practical standpoint, there is no real benefits to choosing one or the other.