Civil partnership

Civil partnership ceremonies can take place at the Register Office in Gateshead Civic Centre, or at any approved venue between 9.30am and 3pm or until 4.30pm on Mondays.

As well as being able to marry, couples can choose to have a civil partnership. This gives couples the legal status of "Civil Partner" and gives them the same rights as married couples for a range of legal matters.

You may choose to register your civil partnership simply, without a ceremony, in the Register Office in the presence of a Civil Partnership Registrar and your two witnesses. Alternatively, you may have a ceremony, with guests, in the Register Office, or have a ceremony in one of the approved premises in Gateshead.

The legal notices are valid for twelve calendar months and you must give notice in the area where you live. The Registrar in the area where your ceremony is taking place will issue the Civil Partnership Schedule, which is the legal document that you will be asked to sign on the day of the formation of your partnership. On the day, you will be asked to check this document and to sign it in the presence of your two witnesses and the Civil Partnership Registrar, after reading the legal declaration.

Giving notice

• To form a civil partnership a couple must first enter notice of their intention to register.
• Before entering a notice each of the couple need to have a seven day residential qualification and to give notice in the area where they live prior to the formation of their civil partnership.
• The couple must be over 18 (or provide evidence of consent if over 16), not related to each other within the prohibited degrees of relationship and not in an existing marriage or civil partnership in order to enter into a civil partnership.
• There is be a 28 day waiting period once notice of intention to register has been given, before the formation can take place.
• The civil partnership is formed once the couple have signed a schedule in the presence of a registration officer and two witnesses.

Make an appointment

To make an appointment to give notice at Gateshead Register Office, phone 0191 433 3000.
 

Civil partnerships for opposite sex couples

The Civil Partnerships (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019, which extend eligibility for forming civil partnership to opposite sex couples were approved in Parliament on 5 November 2019. The regulations come into force on 2 December 2019.

This means that opposite sex (male and female) couples are able to form a civil partnership.

If you are an opposite sex couple who wishes to form a civil partnership please contact the Register Office on 0191 433 3000 for further advice.

This new legislation does not affect the arrangements currently in place for same sex civil partnerships.
 

Choosing a marriage or a civil partnership

All couples can now choose either a marriage or a civil partnership and deciding which one to choose is a personal decision.

We are unable to give any advice on the validity or benefits of choosing marriage or civil partnership.

If you are unsure of the implications of your choice, issues such as inheritance or your personal finance then you should seek independent legal or financial advice to help you choose whether to form a marriage or a civil partnership.