Is civil partnership the same as living together?

A couple in a civil partnership is distinctly different from a couple who are living together.

Civil partners are in a legally recognised relationship which has many of the same legal and financial rights as married couples regarding property, children, pensions, and inheritance.

Cohabiting couples have limited financial protection and no automatic legal rights or responsibilities to each other’s property or assets if they separate. If a cohabiting couple wish to end their relationship they can simply separate without any legal process.

A civil partnership can only be formally ended through a legal process called Dissolution.

While civil partnerships and cohabitation both involve couples living together, a civil partnership offers a couple significantly more legal protections and rights.