Closest thing to "civil partnership" for couple who are not same-sex.

HanSpan

Alienna wrote: »

... a few years ago, he ended up severely ill in A&E. It scared me when I realised I didn't actually have any rights to be there - his Mum could have said she didn't want me there and that would've been that. ...

Assuming you both want one another to make medical decision, rather than whoever is deemed officially "next of kin" do consider getting Power of Attorneys sorted.

Here's the link: https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/overview

It really is waaaaay easier than it might seem at first.

If you want some help I am happy to give it. I did one for my father when he was already starting to suffer with demetia. When he read the paperwork he flipped! He wanted to just write something that said something like:

"if it comes to it I want my daughter to decide whether to switch me off or what drugs to give or not give rather than the doctors. In the mean time I want her to have access to all my bank accounts so she can help me when I can't make sense of it or forget my passcodes"

Unfortunately the POA is rather more complicated than that on the face of it - it has to be to cover the ins and outs for if you want to give responsibility to more than just one person; in order that where there are more people potentially involved who could cause ructions it is all covered; and most importantly to protect the person signing it from being co-erced into doing so against their will.
However if there are just two of you wanting the other to have responsibility if you become unable to make decisions yourself it is actually pretty straight forward and, as I think Is aid elsewhere, the government website actually leads you through it all.

Mojisola

Alienna wrote: »

However, a few years ago, he ended up severely ill in A&E. It scared me when I realised I didn't actually have any rights to be there - his Mum could have said she didn't want me there and that would've been that.

Anyone can nominate who they want to be their 'next of kin' for medical purposes. Write a letter and get one copy kept with your GP records and another with your hospital notes (if you are already in the system).

Your NOK can keep a copy with them and you can make one of these - https://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/advice-and-support/next-of-kin/ (see the download at the bottom of page)
or buy one -
http://www.nextofkin.com/nextofkin.org_new/index.php

mumps

I know this might seem a bit obvious but what exactly is the difference between a civil partnership and a civil marriage, I realise what is different about a religious ceremony, but if a civil partnership gives you everything marriage does the what is the difference?

I suppose I should go and research it, maybe when the grandchildren go to bed I will try to figure it out.

mumps

Well so far I have found that pension rights aren't the same for CP. You don't have to consumate a CP, well I suppose you don't have to consumate a marriage if you both agree on it, not sure about this does that mean if someone has a disability that makes consumation impossible they can't be married? Think I am confusing myself. Maybe I will look at this tomorrow when I have had benefit of sleep.

HanSpan

mumps wrote: »

Well so far I have found that pension rights aren't the same for CP. You don't have to consumate a CP, well I suppose you don't have to consumate a marriage if you both agree on it, not sure about this does that mean if someone has a disability that makes consumation impossible they can't be married? Think I am confusing myself. Maybe I will look at this tomorrow when I have had benefit of sleep.

I still haven't managed to work out how the pension rights are different. I think it must depend on factors that don't apply to me so I am not really understanding them.

The things I do know are different, at least in England

Marriage you have to say some particular words (there's a variety of exact wordings but basically the "I know of no legal reason we can't" bit and the "I take whatsisname to be my husband/wife" bit).
CP you don't have to say any words - just sign the register.

Marriages the names of only the fathers of the two people are included on the paper register. CPs both parents are included, and the register is electronic.

There's different rules for reasons for annulment. A marriage can be annulled if its not consumated, or if one party was suffereing from VD at the time of marriage! Neither of these are grounds for annulment of a CP.

Ending a marriage is called divorce, ending a CP similarly is called a dissolution order. Again the rules for what grounds can be used are different. Adultery (which is defined as sexual intercourse with someone of the opposite sex outside the marriage) can be grounds for divorce but not for dissolution of a CP.

Oh & if you are married you can't call yourselves Civil Partners for legal reasons and visa versa.

HTH

edited to add the link to the govt table which I think I've covered above - this is where you can find it.
The vast majority or rows of information appear to be identical, other than those I've listed above.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparison-of-civil-partnership-and-marriage-for-same-sex-couples

coolcait

HanSpan wrote: »

....
edited to add the link to the govt table which I think I've covered above - this is where you can find it.
The vast majority or rows of information appear to be identical, other than those I've listed above.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comparison-of-civil-partnership-and-marriage-for-same-sex-couples

The document in the link covers a comparison between marriage for same sex partners and civil partnership for same sex partners.

That's not the same situation that this thread has been talking about.

Is there a document which details the differences between civil partnership for same sex partners and marriage for different sex partners? That would fit in with the topic which has been discussed here.

I will say that the document you've shared strengthens my view that there is no need for Civil Partnership legislation now that same sex couples have (finally) been given the right to marry.

The differences between the two options, for same sex partners, are miniscule.

HanSpan

coolcait wrote: »

The document in the link covers a comparison between marriage for same sex partners and civil partnership for same sex partners.

That's not the same situation that this thread has been talking about.

Is there a document which details the differences between civil partnership for same sex partners and marriage for different sex partners? That would fit in with the topic which has been discussed here.

That's the only document I have found. The things that I listed for Marriage also apply to marriage for different sex partners though as I understand the rules.

As I've said I really don't understand the pension ones so taht could be different but I'm pretty sure the other rules are the same for different sex and same sex marriages.

I haven't (must go to bed) but it might be worth searching for comparison between same sex marriage and different sex marriage then trying to tie them both together, I suspect there is more likely to be a document about that. However my brain is too tired for that right now! Maybe Sunday.

coolcait

HanSpan wrote: »

... However my brain is too tired for that right now! Maybe Sunday.

I know that feeling! How can it have been such a long week when it started with a holiday (here in Scotland at any rate)?

It's probably that tiredness which made me ask if there was a document which compared civil partnership legislation to the marriage legislation for different sex couples.

I'm not sure that there will be an official document like that.

There might be - and searching for it might throw up lots of other interesting links!

But I can't see an everyday need for such a document - whereas I can see an everyday need for a document like the one you linked to.

duchy

HanSpan wrote: »

Thanks. It is plugged in but we are somewhere with well known flakiness problems, and the PC is my SOs old one so rather clogged with crap. One on the long list of jobs is to give it a good clear out and wipe and reload, or maybe just buy a new one for me!

Try downloading the free version of malwarebytes from their own site (google for it) and it'll safely clear out a lot of the junk on your PC and hopefully speed it up.

duchy

I thought this post was interesting. It does illustrate how some cohabitating couples assume things and get an abrupt shock at the most difficult of times (On the benefits and funerals thread)

I'm 35 with a 13 year old and a 15 year old, my partner of 17 years passed away unexpectedly on Sept 2015. I was his carer for many years as he suffered with epilepsy, depression & anxiety!...when he passed I didn't have 2 mins to myself to think, I got letters from social, housing, council tax everything straight away everything stopped (which was right coz it was in both our names) but they didn't give me a day to get my head round things which is so wrong as I had a funeral to prepare and 2 heartbroken children to look after. Also as we have been together since I was 18 years old and have had 2 children I didn't qualify for bereavement allowance or anything which is so wrong as we have been together longer than most marriages. I didnt even qualify as his next of kin because we werent down as legally married so my 15 year old daughter had to go down so it made me feel like all them years together meant nothing. I think that if you have been together for more than 10 years then you should be eligible for bereavement allowance (as i thought you are practically classed as married anyways). Apart from a funeral grant i didnt get any help with anything, which didn't even cover the cost of the funeral director fees so Im still paying that off for the next year or two. It's just so wrong....