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From today opposite sex couples can give notice for Civil Partnerships. Following the usual 28 days notice they will be able to register their partnership from 31st December 2019. (Until today only same sex couples were able to form a Civil Partnership.) Why is this important ? Many couples choose to live together rather than marry, by doing this they may forfeit their legal status as a couple. Couples who enter into a Civil Partnership are regarded in the same way as a married couple. The position of civil partners in relation to financial arrangements mirrors that of spouses. The laws governing wills, administration of estates and family provisions applies to civil partners in the same way as to spouses. Although we rarely like to consider what will happen when a life partner dies it is worth discussing the financial position for when a person dies without a valid will their property must be shared out according to certain rules. These rules are called intestacy. Only married couples or civil partners and some other close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy. Cohabiting partners who are neither married nor in a civil partnership cannot inherit under these rules. So what happens if you jointly own your home ? There are two ways of owning a home - these are as a beneficial joint tenancy and tenancies in common. If partners are beneficial joint tenements at the time of one partners death then the other partner automatically inherits. However, if the partners are tenants in common the surviving partner does not automatically inherit. Does a Cohabiting partner automatically inherit if there is no will ? The short answer is "No" not automatically. The following groups of people would have to apply to the Courts for financial provision
No doubt this is a discussion which will gain interest in the coming years and it is predicted that there will be a sharp rise in the number of couples who choose to form Civil Partnerships in the future. Please also see my page on Civil Partnership ceremonies.
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Many parents wish to welcome their new baby by introducing them to family and friends. A Celebrant led ceremony is a wonderful way to do this and ceremonies can be held anywhere - making the organisation so much easier. Each ceremony is tailor made to your requirements and may include
Sometimes the arrival of your new baby means that life becomes super busy and days and months pass by so quickly. If this is the case then combining your child's first birthday with a Naming ceremony may be for you. For more information please make contact. It's becoming very popular to send "save the day" cards to alert guests about your planned wedding celebration. Once you have all your plans finalised you then need to send a more formal invitation. The invitation should state your venue, date and time and information about the reception. There is also the question of who will be hosting the celebration. Some couples follow a traditional route and the bride's parents host the wedding, especially if the bride's parents have made a major financial contribution. The wording on the invitations might read Mr & Mrs Paul White request the pleasure of Guest’s Name at the marriage of their daughter Jane to Mr Edward Jones at The Crown Hotel, Birmingham on Saturday 18th September 2020 at 1:30pm followed by a reception R.S.V.P by 30th June to Mr & Mrs Paul White 12 Pine Road Stafford Alternatively you may prefer to send the invitations from you as a couple. Miss Jane Smith and Mr Edward Jones request the pleasure of Guest’s Name at their Marriage/Wedding ceremony* * You can use the word "Marriage" if the Registrar will be present alternatively if the ceremony is Celebrant led then "Wedding Ceremony" is more descriptive. For more information about Celebrant led ceremonies please make contact via my website or facebook page. Happy planning ! Legislation has finally been agreed by Parliament which allows opposite sex couples to form a Civil Partnership. For those couples who would like the security of knowing their partner is secure should they die this is a big step forward. Currently, if you cohabit and your partner dies then unless you are a joint owner of your property you have no rights. The property and their assets go to family and you might find yourself turned out of your home. By forming a Civil Partnership you have the same rights as a married couple including being able to transfer money between you with no Captial gains tax, qualifying for the Marriage allowance of which the lower earner can share some of their allowance and there are implications for Inheritance tax too. But why form a Civil Partnership as opposed to getting married ? For many people the notion of marriage is outdated and carries with it cultural and traditional resonances they don't subscribe to. The first day you can give notice that you wish to form a Civil Partnership is 2nd December 2019 and following the 28 day notice the first date available for registering a Civil Partnership will be 31st December 2019. More information and a fuller explanation of Tax and property implications can be found on the Government website. Being a guest at a wedding can be almost as stressful as being the couple. There are lots of unspoken rules guests should follow such as RSVP on time, switch your phone off during the ceremony and don’t drink too much at the free bar. Then there are the choices about what to wear. Hats can be particularly tricky as they can't be too large or they will block the view during the ceremony or cover other guests faces in the photos. Choosing the colour for your outfit can be a difficult one too. My advice here is to steer clear of white unless the couple have indicated otherwise. Sometimes a dress code is included on the invitation especially if it's a beach wedding. If not then it is best to wear something formal. Whatever you choose to wear remember that the purpose of the day is to be there for the couple and make their day one to remember. By being part of the day you are agreeing to support them as they open a new chapter in their lives. So just enjoy the experience. Looking forward to joining everyone at Highgate Hotel, Creaton Northamptonshire for Days 3 and 4 of the NVQ Couples and families course, tomorrow. I really enjoy being part of this assessment week organised by Civil Ceremonies Ltd. The assessment week can be hard work and requires real focus but it ensures that the Celebrants who take part have all the skills they need to create and conduct wonderful individual ceremonies. See you all tomorrow ! These are the words of Emma and Craig whose ceremony I conducted in May. They had the first Combined ceremony in Staffordshire. This meant that they has an official Registration of their wedding within a Celebrant led ceremony. It was a great occasion ! Recently Sophie from Outdoor Ceremonies shared a blog about the event. So for the full story go to https://www.outdoorceremonies.co.uk/post/a-beautiful-combined-ceremony-at-pendrell-hall Every anniversary is a milestone and it's good to plan something special on your wedding anniversary to reaffirm your love for each other. Plan to take time out to acknowledge the day. Maybe you could book a day off work, or enjoy a special meal just for two, or watch the sun set in a place that holds special memories. For the more adventurous there's always tandem skydiving ! Long-time couples often find romance in renewing their wedding vows. Why not invite friends and family to help you celebrate your marriage all over again with a Renewal of Vows ceremony as part of a family party ? We can often tell by a name the era someone was born in. Some names come into fashion and then loose popularity whilst others seem timeless. Today, when seeking inspiration, parents often look at current celebrities or characters from popular programmes, where once they may have considered family names, those of film stars or prominent public figures. Some of the names which are trending at the moment for girls are Ariana which has seen a 300% rise in the last 10 years or Arya and Elsa. Boys names too have seen some interesting rises in popularity with names such as Jesse, Dexter and Dustin moving up the ratings. Choosing a name can be quite daunting and when deciding my own children's names we made a short list but put off the final decision for a few days after their birth to see which name seemed to fit them best. For couples planning a summer wedding in 2020 or beyond the next few months are an ideal time to start putting your plans together, particularly if you want an outdoor wedding. Outdoor weddings are becoming increasingly popular with many licences premises now offering this option. Registrars will conduct a Civil Ceremony within a "structure" (usually a gazebo). Equally you may wish to hold your wedding in a place which is special to you such as your own garden, a piece of woodland or field. My advice would be to complete the legal requirements first by booking a simple ceremony at your local registry office and then having a Celebrant-led ceremony at the venue of your choice. Many couples are now holding Wedding festivals where guests have the option to camp overnight and there is a growing number of venues who offer this. If you choose a venue in Staffordshire you can combine the Legal ceremony with a Celebrant -led ceremony. For further details check my website of visit Staffordshire Council website. Wherever you plan to hold your celebration make sure that if the weather is inclement you have some cover - just in case. Happy planning. |
AuthorChoosing a Celebrant to help you create that special ceremony is an important step towards making your occasion a really memorable one. Why not take advantage of the free initial meeting I offer ? I believe it is important to meet informally to discuss your ideas and what I can offer. Meeting also gives us an opportunity to explore the type of ceremony that would best suit your needs. Archives
February 2020
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