Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted in Part
It is staggering that so many people in England and Wales believe in the common...
Recommendation
It is staggering that so many people in England and Wales believe in the common law marriage myth. This misplaced belief in legal protections can have profound consequences for cohabiting partners—many of whom do not realise the reality of their situation until it is too late. The Government should conduct a public awareness campaign to highlight the legal distinctions between getting married, forming a civil partnership, or choosing to live together as cohabiting partners. (Paragraph 24) Equalities issues
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, agreeing to reach out to women in religious communities regarding the consequences of non-legally binding weddings, and will consider whether a broader information campaign is appropriate after reviewing the Law Commission report on weddings law.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
We partially accept this recommendation. The Government agrees that it is important to reach out to women in religious communities where religious-only (and non-legally binding) marriages are commonplace, to highlight the different consequences of having a non-legally binding wedding and a legal marriage. The recent Law Commission report on weddings law, published on 19 July 2022, includes consideration of this issue and recommendations to ensure that fewer weddings conducted according to religious rites result in a marriage that the law does not recognise. The Government must now take the time to consider all 57 report recommendations fully and will publish a response to the report in due course. The Government will consider the question as to whether it is premature to carry out a targeted information campaign before a decision is made on what marriage law reform, if any, will be pursued.