Civil Partnerships: Next Steps and Consultation on Conversion

The government is committed to changing the law by 31 December 2019 to allow opposite-sex couples to form civil partnerships. This next steps policy paper outlines the government’s plans for extending eligibility and the range of rights and entitlements that should be made available to opposite-sex civil partners.

We are also seeking your views on the future of conversion rights. At present, same-sex couples can convert their civil partnership to a marriage, enabling them to transition to a form of relationship that was not previously available to them. We are seeking views on whether opposite-sex married couples should similarly have an opportunity to convert their relationships to a civil partnership. The consultation also asks whether all conversion rights should then be brought to an end.

The next steps policy paper and consultation are both contained in the document below.

If you need paper copies, easy read or Welsh language versions of the consultation document, please email OSCP.consultation@geo.gov.uk.