July 25, 2019
Standardise Register Office Fees
At ECP we have become aware that the costs for registering a civil partnership vary tremendously from council to council.
We understand that outside venues and more elaborate ceremonies will cause variations in price but we’ve found a basic simple witnessed registration can cost from £46 – the required price set by Government – to a far higher price at the will of the individual register office.
We’ve also found that there are usually restrictions on when a simple registration service can take place with the most restrictive only allowing them on Monday mornings – and the number of guests present – with the most restrictive only allowing two witnesses.
We want everyone to be able to safeguard their relationship and enjoy the protections that civil partnerships will bring to mixed-sex couples and want no-one to be put off registering their relationship through cost or time constraints or be forced to not include vital friends or family. We also want couples to enjoy the same freedom of choice throughout the country and not pay a higher price depending on their postcode.
We ask register offices to commit to our three point pledge for both mixed and same sex civil partnerships for the simple legal registration ceremony
- Standard fixed price £46
- Available to book at this price Mon-Fri 9-5pm
- Up to 8 guests including witnesses – in addition to the couple themselves