1. As of 5 December, same-sex couples can get legal recognition for their relationship. They must give notice of their intention to register, and then, after a 15-day waiting period, sign on the dotted line in front of a registrar and a couple of witnesses - and become civil partners.
2. Being a civil partner brings rights and responsibilities. Partners have to agree to provide maintenance for each other, and for the family.
They have rights to employment and benefits, and recognition for immigration and nationality. The new legal status of partnership also sorts the problem of inheritance between gay couples. When a married person dies, their property simply passes to the surviving partner, with a total exemption from inheritance tax. The survivor in a gay couple may face a massive bill, which in some cases has led to them losing their home. Now, registered gay couples have the same exemptions as married couples.
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