IHTM02087 - Communications: General instructions: Civil Partnerships: Notes on terminology and language

The following words and phrases should be used when referring to marriage and civil partnerships.

The words and phrases are for general use. Some words and phrases (바카라 사이트榬elative바카라 사이트� for example) have a particular meaning ascribed to them by the legislation. Care should be taken when it is necessary to preserve that meaning.

  • Spouse - (i) one member of a married couple, and also (ii) the legal status of that member with respect to the other. Spouse does not include civil partner
  • Civil partner - (i) shorthand for each member of a couple who have formed a civil partnership; also (ii) the legal status of each member of a couple who have formed a civil partnership by registering as civil partners of each other - in the same way as spouse is used to describe both each member of the married couple and the legal status of one with respect to the other. Where we are talking about civil partnerships or civil partners, we always prefix it with the word 바카라 사이트渃ivil바카라 사이트�. We do not use the term 바카라 사이트減artner바카라 사이트� or 바카라 사이트渞egistered partner바카라 사이트�.
  • Civil partnership - the legal relationship existing between two civil partners
  • To form a civil partnership - the process of two people entering into a civil partnership is known as 바카라 사이트榝orming바카라 사이트� a civil partnership. This is distinct from 바카라 사이트榬egistering바카라 사이트� a civil partnership (see below)
  • To register as civil partners (of each other) - to carry out the requirements of forming a civil partnership (including signing the civil partnership document (either the civil partnership schedule or (under the special procedure) the Registrar General바카라 사이트檚 licence)). We refer to registering as civil partners (of each other), rather than entering a civil partnership
  • Widow / widower - a man or woman whose marriage has ended through the death of his or her spouse
  • Widowed - the state of being a widow or widower
  • Surviving civil partner - a person whose civil partnership has ended through the death of his or her civil partner. (Note that we have not chosen an equivalent term to 바카라 사이트渨idowed바카라 사이트� - we use 바카라 사이트渉e or she is a surviving civil partner바카라 사이트�)
  • Fianc茅 / fianc茅e - a man or woman who has agreed to marry at some time in the future
  • Engaged - the state of being a fianc茅 or fianc茅e
  • Proposed civil partner - a person who has agreed to form a civil partnership with someone else in the future, including those who have already given their notices of proposed civil partnership. (Again, there is no equivalent to 바카라 사이트榚ngaged바카라 사이트� - instead we use 바카라 사이트榟ave agreed to form a civil partnership바카라 사이트� or 바카라 사이트榠s a proposed civil partner바카라 사이트� as appropriate)
  • Divorce / annulment - the procedure used to dissolve or annul a marriage
  • Dissolution / annulment - the equivalent procedure used to dissolve or annul a civil partnership
  • Divorced - the state of being a former spouse, whose marriage has been dissolved
  • Person whose civil partnership has been dissolved - the state of being a former civil partner, whose civil partnership has been dissolved
  • Marital status - status of an individual in terms of whether they are single, married, separated, divorced or widowed
  • Marital or civil partnership status - status of an individual in terms of whether they are single, married, in a civil partnership, separated, divorced, a person whose civil partnership has been dissolved, widowed or a bereaved civil partner. Where references to 바카라 사이트榤arital status바카라 사이트� need to be changed to reflect the new civil partnership statuses, the term 바카라 사이트榤arital or civil partnership status바카라 사이트� should be used. Where this is used on forms to obtain information, the equivalent marriage and civil partnership statuses should be grouped together, unless there is a specific need to identify people in one or other category. (e.g. married or in a civil partnership, divorced or civil partnership dissolved etc). This will ensure that people who do not wish to reveal their sexual orientation are not required to do so
  • Relatives - two or more people between whom there exists a blood relationship or a relationship created by marriage or a relationship created by civil partnership. For example - brother and sister, brother and sister바카라 사이트檚 husband, brother and sister바카라 사이트檚 civil partner
  • Family - we will use family in a loose sense, to encompass all 바카라 사이트榬elatives바카라 사이트� (as defined above) and also all relationships created through unmarried or unregistered adult couple relationships that society is likely to regard as a family relationship. For example - brother and sister, brother and sister바카라 사이트檚 opposite-sex partner, brother and sister바카라 사이트檚 unregistered same-sex partner, a child and an adult who is raising him or her)
  • Matrimonial home - home shared or intended to be shared by a married opposite-sex couple
  • Civil partnership home - home shared by or intended to be shared by a same-sex couple in a civil partnership
  • Matrimonial / Marital - of or pertaining to marriage
  • Of or pertaining to civil partnership - of or pertaining to civil partnership
  • Legally recognised relationship - over-arching term to civil partnership
  • Living together as husband and wife - a term describing an opposite-sex couple who share a home, subject to the 바카라 사이트榣iving together test바카라 사이트�
  • Living together as if they were civil partners - a term describing a same-sex couple who share a home but who are not civil partners, subject to the 바카라 사이트榣iving together test바카라 사이트�

Step relationships and in-laws

We see relationships as arising out of civil partnerships in the same way as they arise out of marriage. We have applied the terms already used for relationships arising following the formation of a civil partnership. This approach has the advantage of simplicity and we do not want to create new terms altogether, since we think it unlikely that they would be used by people in their day-to-day lives. To this end, the Civil Partnership Bill introduces a rule for interpreting references in existing legislation to step-child or step-parent. For legislation passed after the commencement of the Civil Partnership Bill references to these words may be interpreted by reference to civil partnership as well as to marriage. The rules are set out below:

A바카라 사이트檚 stepchild includes a person who is the child of A바카라 사이트檚 civil partner (but is not A바카라 사이트檚 child);

A바카라 사이트檚 step-parent includes a person who is the civil partner of A바카라 사이트檚 parent (but is not A바카라 사이트檚 parent);

A바카라 사이트檚 stepdaughter includes a person who is the daughter of A바카라 사이트檚 civil partner (but is not A바카라 사이트檚 daughter);

A바카라 사이트檚 stepson includes a person who is the son of A바카라 사이트檚 civil partner (but is not A바카라 사이트檚 son);

A바카라 사이트檚 stepfather includes a person who is the civil partner of A바카라 사이트檚 father (but is not A바카라 사이트檚 parent)

A바카라 사이트檚 stepmother includes a person who is the civil partner of A바카라 사이트檚 mother (but is not A바카라 사이트檚 parent)

A바카라 사이트檚 stepbrother includes a person who is the son of the civil partner of A바카라 사이트檚 parent (but is not the son of either of A바카라 사이트檚 parents)

A바카라 사이트檚 stepsister includes a person who is the daughter of the civil partner of A바카라 사이트檚 parent (but is not the daughter of either of A바카라 사이트檚 parents)

바카라 사이트渂rother-in-law바카라 사이트� includes civil partner바카라 사이트檚 brother

바카라 사이트渄aughter-in-law바카라 사이트� includes daughter바카라 사이트檚 civil partner

바카라 사이트渇ather-in-law바카라 사이트� includes civil partner바카라 사이트檚 father

바카라 사이트渕other-in-law바카라 사이트� includes civil partner바카라 사이트檚 mother

바카라 사이트減arent-in-law바카라 사이트� includes civil partner바카라 사이트檚 parent

바카라 사이트渟ister-in-law바카라 사이트� includes civil partner바카라 사이트檚 sister

바카라 사이트渟on-in-law바카라 사이트� includes son바카라 사이트檚 civil partner