In the summer of the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots the LGBT* community have a lot to celebrate. In the last 15 years there have been significant changes for same-sex couples in England and Wales. In 2004 the Civil Partnership Act 2004 legally recognised the union of same-sex couples. In the same year the Gender Recognition Act 2004 allowed individuals to change their legal gender and in 2013 the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 finally legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
In family law LGBT* couples and families have many of the same legal issues to deal with as heterosexual couples but there are also various issues which are unique to the LGBT* community. There are still nuances in the legislative landscape which affect same-sex couples differently to opposite-sex couples and which affect trans couples differently to cisgender couples. There are also legal considerations relevant to those in less traditional family structures whether LGBT* or not.
In England Scotland and Wales if a same-sex couple want to legalise their relationship ...
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