The number of civil partnerships formed in the UK in 2013 was 6,276, a decrease
of 11% from the 7,037 recorded in 2012, according to
new figures released today
by the
Office of National Statistics (ONS).
'I think it’s interesting
that these figures for 2013 show a slowdown in civil partnerships', says Marilyn
Stowe, Senior Partner at
Stowe Family Law. 'Same sex marriage became legal in
the UK in 2014, so perhaps this decline in civil partnerships in the run up to
the change in the marriage laws is simply a demonstration that many couples
decided to wait because they knew the right to marry was just around the
corner.'
According to the ONS, the breakdown of percentages across the UK
in 2013 saw civil partnerships decreasing by 12% in England (5,381
partnerships), 7.7% in Scotland (530 partnerships), 1% in Northern Ireland (100
partnerships), while there was an increase of 2.3% in Wales (265
partnerships).
The number of civil partnership dissolutions granted in
England and Wales in 2013 was 974, an increase of 20% since 2012 when there was
809 dissolutions. ONS figures indicate that 59% of these dissolutions were
female couples (576 dissolutions), with 41% being male couples (398
dissolutions).
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force in December
2005 to allow same-sex couples to formalise their relationship under the law.
Since 2005, the total number of civil partnerships formed in the UK up to the
end of 2013, is 66,730. Since 2014, same-sex couples have had the option to
choose to enter into a civil partnership or get married. This choice of options
is not currently available to heterosexual couples and there have been recent
calls that the law should be amended to address what is seen by many as an
anomaly.
Same-sex couples in civil partnerships whose relationships have
broken down can split formally in a process that mirrors a divorce through an
application for dissolution. They have the same rights as couples in a
heterosexual relationship with regards to applying for financial arrangements
such as pension sharing, property transfer and maintenance.
The full statistical bulletin can be downloaded here. 
