An update to the Wills Act 1837 – Mills & Reeve

‘On 5 October 2023, the Law Commission began a consultation into the use of electronic wills and the effect of a marriage or civil partnership on an existing will.’

Full Story

Mills & Reeve, 12th October 2023

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

New legislation could introduce electronic wills “immediately” – Legal Futures

‘A new Wills Act could permit electronic wills to be introduced “immediately”, rather than enabling the Lord Chancellor to introduce them by statutory instrument at some point in the future, the Law Commission has said.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 5th October 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Minimum marriage age rises to 18 in England and Wales – BBC News

Posted February 27th, 2023 in children, civil partnerships, forced marriages, marriage, news, young persons by sally

‘A new law increasing the legal age of marriage to 18 has come into force in England and Wales.’

Full Story

BBC News, 27th February 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Church of England General Synod approves same-sex blessings – Law & Religion UK

‘The Church of England’s General Synod has today voted in favour of a motion to offer blessings to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages after an eight-hour debate over two days.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 9th February 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Marriage and Civil Partnerships: Minimum Age, England and Wales – Law & Religion UK

Posted February 1st, 2023 in civil partnerships, marriage, news, young persons by sally

‘The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (‘2022 Act’) received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022, and its implications were examined in a post by Russell Sandberg and Kathy Griffiths. Advice was issued by the Faculty Office, and in August 2022 the Government announced that it would be brought into effect on Monday 27 February 2023.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 1st February 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Church of England bishops refuse to back gay marriage – BBC News

‘Church of England bishops have refused to back a change in teaching to allow priests to marry same-sex couples, sources have told BBC News. The Church of England’s bishops met on Tuesday to finalise their recommendations after five years of consultation and debate on the Church’s position on sexuality.
Their proposal will be debated at the Church’s equivalent of a parliament – the General Synod – next month.’

Full Story

BBC News, 18th January 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Capital Gains Tax: transfers of assets between spouses and civil partners in the process of separating – Family Law

Posted August 19th, 2022 in capital gains tax, civil partnerships, divorce, families, married persons, news by tracey

‘The government has published proposals to change the rules that apply to transfers of assets between spouses and civil partners who are in the process of separating. It provides that they be given up to three years in which to make no gain or no loss transfers of assets between themselves when they cease to live together; and unlimited time if the assets are the subject of a formal divorce agreement.’

Full Story

Family Law, 19th August 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

2022 c. 28 – Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022

2022 c. 27 – Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Act 2022

2022 c. 26 – Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022

2022 c. 22 – Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022

2022 c. 20 – Professional Qualifications Act 2022

2022 c. 17 – Local Government (Disqualification) Act 2022

2022 c. 36 – Nationality and Borders Act 2022

2022 c. 34 – British Sign Language Act 2022

2022 c. 32 – Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022

2022 c. 29 – Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022

2022 c. 24 – Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Act 2022

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 – Law & Religion UK

‘The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (‘2022 Act’), originally a private Member’s bill introduced by Sajid Javid and Pauline Latham, has now become law. The Act will be brought into effect by Regulations, which are pending. The headline is that the Act will amend the Marriage Act 1949 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004 to raise the minimum age at which people can enter into a marriage or civil partnership in England and Wales from sixteen to eighteen. This brief post will focus, however, on exploring the new criminal offence the statute creates and the three implications of the legislation that remain unresolved.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 10th May 2022

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

New law raises minimum marriage age to 18 in England and Wales – BBC News

Posted April 27th, 2022 in age of consent, children, civil partnerships, marriage, news, young persons by sally

‘The legal age of marriage and civil partnerships has been raised to 18 in England and Wales.’

Full Story

BBC News, 26th April 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Outdoor civil weddings and partnerships here to stay – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2022 in civil partnerships, consultations, coronavirus, licensing, marriage, news by tracey

‘Outdoor civil weddings and partnerships are being legalised permanently in England and Wales. Until last summer, non-religious ceremonies had to be held inside or in a permanent outdoor structure. The rules were relaxed to allow for more guests while coronavirus social distancing measures were in place.’

Full Story

BBC News, 15th March 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Human rights and a divorce or civil partnership dissolution statement – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 1st, 2022 in civil partnerships, divorce, human rights, news by sally

‘The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 simplifies the divorce and civil partnership dissolution process by changing the law to make irretrievable breakdown – as now – the only ground for divorce or dissolution. But to prove that, there was no longer any need to establish one or more facts: adultery (marriage only), unreasonable behaviour or living apart for varying periods. One, or both, parties can file a statement of irretrievable breakdown. The procedure for this is likely – no commencement date has been confirmed – to be in force from 6 April 2022. All so far so civilised.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, February 2022

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Research Briefing: Commons Library analysis of Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill 2021-22 – House of Commons Library

Posted November 18th, 2021 in age of consent, bills, children, civil partnerships, forced marriages, marriage, news by tracey

‘This Commons Library briefing paper deals with the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill, a Private Member’s Bill which is due to have its Second Reading on 19 November 2021.’

Full Story

House of Commons Library, 17th November 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Parliament to vote on bill to ban child marriage in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘A bill that would ban child marriage in England and Wales will be presented to parliament for its second reading this week and has been welcomed by campaigners as a “huge stride” forward.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 16th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

The meaning of the term “associated person”- s.62 (3) of the Family Law Act 1996 – Becket Chambers

‘Why is it important to show that the parties are “associated persons” for the purposes of FLA 1996 (FLA 1996)?’

Full Story

Becket Chambers, 17th June 2021

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Outdoor civil wedding and partnership registrations to be legalised – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 21st, 2021 in civil partnerships, marriage, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘Outdoor civil wedding and partnership ceremonies in England and Wales are set to be legalised for the first time – offering greater choice to couples in a boost to the wedding sector.’

Full Story

Ministry of Justice, 20th June 2021

Source: www.gov.uk

Perspectives on civil partnerships and marriages in England and Wales: aspects, attitudes and assessments – Family Law

Posted June 14th, 2021 in civil partnerships, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news by tracey

‘This article considers the developments since the turn of the century in the provision of new options for same sex and opposite sex couples to formalise their unions with full legal recognition. The available statistical information on the take-up of same sex civil partnerships and marriages is analysed and evaluated, and an early estimation made of their dissolutions and divorces. The possible implications of recent trends are considered, and a personal appraisal made of prospects for the immediate future. To a lay person, the sequence of introducing civil partnerships and same-sex marriage in England and Wales has been a curious, if not puzzling, progression, perhaps only really understood by the initial opposition to (same sex) civil partnerships, and in particular that they should not be accorded equivalence to marriage. The whole story[1] is also simultaneously one of developing pressure, firstly for the availability of a legal union for same sex couples, and then for greater freedom of choice, and for equal status. The latter was only achieved for civil partnerships[2] after much effort.’

Full Story

Family Law, 11th June 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

The modern family – the interpretation of children, spouses and civil partners in older trust deeds – Wilberforce Chambers

‘It has become cliché to say that modern familial arrangements are vastly different now to how they were 50 years ago, but that does not make it any less true. In 2019, almost half of all births were outside of a marriage or civil-partnership, and 3,440 children were adopted from local authority care. With the passage of the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013, and the Civil Partnership (Opposite Sex Couples) Regulations 2019, the range of relationships that can be legally recognised, and the form that this recognition takes are also very different. Given the age of many settlements, traditional definitions of “children” or “spouse” can cause real difficulties.’

Full Story

Wilberforce Chambers, 17th February 2021

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk

When is a wedding not a marriage? Exploring non-legally binding ceremonies – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 13th, 2021 in civil partnerships, Law Commission, marriage, news by sally

‘Why might couples in England and Wales today opt for a non-legally binding wedding ceremony in addition to their legally binding one?’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 12th January 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Civil partnership conversion for landmark gay couple – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2020 in civil partnerships, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news, Northern Ireland by sally

‘Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005.’

Full Story

BBC News, 7th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk