How to end a civil partnership

Divorce is one of the hardest and most upsetting experiences that can happen in our lives. Yet, one in three marriages in the UK is now said to end in a divorce.

For those of us in a civil partnership, we can also encounter severe problems that unfortunately can’t be resolved and require an end to our relationships. While the ending of a civil partnership is not technically called a divorce, how it happens is very similar. Here we will explain the exact steps that need to be taken.

The importance of responsible data handling for businesses

There have been numerous cases in recent years where businesses and organisations have failed in their duties under the Data Protection Act (1998). Under the law, organisations must do all they can to safely store, maintain and correctly dispose of sensitive information. Failing to do so can leave you open to fines of up to £500,000 and can significantly damage your reputation. Take Japanese electronic gaming manufacturer PlayStation who were handed a fine of £250,000 by the ICO when a hack into their online network leaked the user logins and credit card details of their customers. So, with these dangers in mind what guidelines should businesses follow for storing, accessing and disposing of confidential data?

Converting a civil partnership to a marriage

In the UK, couples who are in a civil partnership are now able to convert their partnership to a marriage and there are a number of reasons why it can be beneficial.

First of all, in some countries civil partnerships are not recognised in the way they are in the UK. This means that if you are living abroad you might not enjoy the same rights as a married couple.

Being in a civil partnership can also present other issues in daily life such as being forced to state your sexuality on forms by declaring that you are part of a civil partnership. Many situations also force you to refer to your partner as your civil partner, rather than a husband or wife. In general, people often feel that there is a feeling of segregation around being in a civil partnership, which is not present when you are married.