This is a list of legal consequences of forming a

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

civil partnership A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

in England and Wales. *For the purposes of

capital gains tax A capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax on profits realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals, real estate, and property. Not all countries impose a c ...

, a married couple/civil partners can claim private residence relief for only one dwelling, even if they live apart. *Married/civil partners can possess joint property without needing to agree a contract. *A spouse of a British citizen is entitled to a residence permit if the spouse is from the EU. If not, to apply for residence the British spouse must meet a minimum income requirement of at least £18,600 a year for the past six months. This rises to £22,400 for families with a child, and a further £2,400 for each further child. *A spouse may not be compelled by a criminal court to disclose private communications with their spouse. *When a married couple/civil partners separate, the courts have wide powers to divide their property and may set aside

prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple prior to marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the leg ...

s. * Wills are revoked on marriage or formation of a civil partnership (unless made in contemplation of marriage/formation of a civil partnership). Similarly, a divorced former spouse cannot benefit from a will made before divorce/dissolution. *No

inheritance tax An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and property) of a person who has died. International tax law distinguishes between an e ...

is payable on an estate inherited by a surviving spouse/civil partner, if they are UK domiciled. *The surviving spouse inherits part or all of the estate of a spouse who dies

intestate Intestacy is the condition of the estate of a person who dies without having in force a valid will or other binding declaration. Alternatively this may also apply where a will or declaration has been made, but only applies to part of the estat ...

. The exact rules for intestacy are different in the countries of the UK. In

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is En ...

, if there are children, the survivor inherits the first £125,000 plus personal possessions plus a life interest in half the remainder; if there are no children but the deceased has surviving parents or siblings, the surviving spouse inherits the first £200,000 plus personal possessions plus half the remainder; otherwise the survivor inherits the whole estate. *The surviving spouse is paid a proportion of their deceased spouse's

pension A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...

. The exact amount has been a subject of legal challenge following the

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced same-sex marriage in England and Wales. Background Civil partnerships were introduced in the United Kingdom in 2004, allowin ...

: same-sex couples are only entitled to pass on a proportion of their pension since the 2005 introduction of civil partnerships, considerably lowering the amount of pension provision they could pass on in the event of their death, compared to the position if they had been married to an opposite-sex partner. A legal challenge to change this failed in 2015. *Women who become spouses to male peers and knights usually receive titles which last for the length of a marriage. Men who are married to women who are made

dames ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the British honours system and those of several other Commonwealth realms, such as Australia and New Zeala ...

do not receive titles. In the case of same-sex partnerships, whether civil partnerships or marriages, the male spouse of an ennobled man does not get any title—nor would the female partner of a similarly ennobled woman.

David Furnish David James Furnish (born 25 October 1962) is a Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive. He is married to English singer, pianist and composer Sir Elton John. Early life and education David Furnish was born in Toronto, Ontario, the ...

, the husband of Sir

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, has argued that there remains a legal inequality on this matter.

References

External links

Marriages and civil partnerships
GOV.UK Marriage, unions and partnerships in England English family law {{England-law-stub

See also

References

External links