Lawyers Say Civil Partnership Conversions Will Accelerate Growth In Same-Sex Marriage Later This Year

Over 1,400 same-sex couples got married in the first three months since the gay marriage laws were introduced in March this year – but leading family lawyers say this could have been higher had civil partners been able to convert to marriage.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) report that 1,409 same-sex marriages took place in England and Wales in the first three months following the law being introduced on 29 March.

The statistics show that 56% of the marriages were between female couples and 44% were between males. In the first three days of same-sex marriage becoming legal there were 95 ceremonies.

John Nicholson, a specialist family lawyer at Irwin Mitchell said:

Irwin Mitchell challenged the Government on the conversion process on behalf of a same-sex couple wishing to convert on the same day as gay marriage became legal and eventually a date was set that civil partners could tie the knot.

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in Family and Divorce Law.