The purpose of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 is to enable same-sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship by forming a civil partnership. Couples who register as civil partners of each other will gain a package of rights and responsibilities.

Partners will be subject to many of the same legal rights and responsibilities as spouses.

Two people may register as civil partners of each other provided:

• They are of the same sex 
   
• Neither of them is already in a civil partnership or married
   
• They are not within the prohibited degrees of relationship i.e. members of the same family who are forbidden by law to marry.
   
• They are both over the age of sixteen (and consent of the appropriate persons has been obtained if either of the parties are under eighteen)

The Order seeks to fulfil those policy objectives by amending primary legislation relating to:

• State retirement pension provisions including entitlement to a pension increase or lump sum where a deceased partner had deferred entitlement to state retirement pension
   
• The duty to furnish addresses for maintenance proceedings
   
• The up-rating of state benefits and alterations affecting awards of Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit
   
• Private pension schemes to ensure civil partners are afforded the same rights as spouses in relation to technical issues such as the right to receive information etc

• A civil partner will inherit on intestacy in the same way as a spouse

Since the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act in December 2005 entering into a civil partnership will invalidate an existing will unless it was made in contemplation of the partnership.

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