pink weddings magazine 31
LEgAL ADvIcE
More and more couples are now travelling
abroad to tie the knot – partly in search for
the guaranteed sunshine and partly due to
the increasing cost of having a ceremony in
this country.
Since the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act in
2005 travel companies have been offering packages for a
civil partnership ceremony abroad, promising to plan
your big day to the finest detail and then offering an
idyllic honeymoon resort.
It is often confusing working out exactly what
paperwork is required to have a ceremony abroad. It is
vital that you contact the Foreign Embassy to check the
legal formalities.
In some countries you will need to provide a
certificate of no impediment (CNI) – the local embassy’s
website will tell you this. You may also need to exchange
the UK CNI for a Consular CNI at the British Embassy.
The CNI and other documents may also need to be
legalised by the UK legislation office.
A certificate of no impediment confirms there are
no objections to your proposed marriage –
ie
that you
are single and allowed to marry. These can be obtained
from the local register office. It is important to check
whether the CNI needs to be translated to the local
language. Some countries require the certificate to be
legalised, ie stamped with an official stamp. This can be
done by the Home Office.
The key is to ensure that the legal requirements are
complied with in plenty of time. It can take a month or
even longer for an application for a certificate of no
impediment to be approved.
On your return home remember to send a copy of
the civil partnership document to the general register
office. This will then be stored as an official record and
you can then obtain a duplicate in the future if you
mislay the original.
There are only 20 countries that automatically
recognise civil partnership. Generally speaking, if a
ceremony is considered legal in the country where the
ceremony was performed it is assumed to be legal in the
UK. If the country does not recognise civil partnership
ceremonies, then some couples have commitment
ceremonies – but these do not have any legal status.
It is absolutely imperative that proper research is
done if you are thinking of having a civil partnership
abroad and it is always worth seeking legal advice.
Before you start packing the wedding bands and
confetti, contact your local solicitor.
For specialised legal advice on all family matters
please contact Lorraine Harvey, partner at Russell Jones &
Walker solicitors on 0161 383 3650 or
L.Harvey@rjw.co.uk.
Overseas and
aboveboard?
Do your homework before you fall in love with the idea
of a wedding abroad, says
Lorraine Harvey
‘The key is to ensure that the legal
requirements are complied with in
plenty of time. It can take a month
or even longer for an application
for a certificate of no impediment
to be approved.’