Mixed civil partnerships – coming to Scotland this summer!

March 17, 2021

Mixed sex couples will be able to enter into a civil partnership in Scotland from summer 2021. Notices can be submitted from the 1st June 2021, with the first mixed sex civil partnerships able to take place as early as the end of June.

Humanist Society Scotland was proud to play a major role in the campaign for equal marriage in Scotland, and after equal marriage was made legal in 2014, we continued to campaign for civil partnerships to be extended to mixed sex couples, to create true equality and choice for all. We are delighted that our campaigning means that civil partnerships will soon be an option for all couples in Scotland.

Our Chief Executive, Fraser Sutherland, said,

Over the years we have been contacted by many people who wish to mark their relationship with a legal ceremony, but for various reasons don’t feel like marriage is the right option for them. This change will allow mixed sex couples greater choice to meet their wishes.

What is the difference between marriage and civil partnership?

There are no significant differences between the rights and obligations of a marriage versus a civil partnership, but civil partnerships are formed by signing a civil partnership document, whereas marriages are formed by making legal declarations. Some people are uncomfortable with the traditional and religious connotations of marriage, so civil partnerships give these couples the option of entering a legal partnership that is devoid of these connotations.

Find out more

You can find out more about the legalities here on the Scottish Government website, and once notices for mixed sex civil partnerships are able to be submitted you will be able to find more information (and the forms themselves) on the National Records website.