Posted by Patrick Hart, Partner
On 1 September 2016 Withy King LLP merged with Royds LLP. The trading name for the merged firm is Royds Withy King. All content produced prior to this date will remain in the name of the firms pre-merger.
Same-Sex Marriages Allowed in British Consulates
At the end of March of this year, legislation enabling same-sex marriage in England and Wales came into force. Scotland is expected to introduce similar legislation later this year. The legislation follows the introduction of the “Consular Marriage and Marriages under Foreign Law Order 2014” which came into force yesterday (June 3rd).
It has now been announced that same-sex couples will be able to marry at British Consulates in 23 countries, including Bolivia, China, Peru, San Mario and even in Russia where people can be punished for homosexual “propaganda”.
The UK government confirmed that the list of countries is limited because British missions are only able to provide same-sex marriage services in countries where it is not possible for British nationals to have same-sex marriages under local law.
Although same-sex couples will be able to marry in the British Consulates, local authorities will still be required to grant permission for the mission to conduct consular marriages of same-sex couples.
Our experienced solicitors are able to advise on a range of family law matters including such issues. To find out how we can help you, contact Patrick Hart in our Family Law team today.