In 2002, however, registered partners were allowed to adopt their partner's children.

The law gives the same rights to registered partners as to married spouses except for adoption.

Divorce for registered partners follows the same rules as ordinary divorces.

And, like spouses, registered partners will also be able to represent their companions in challenging tax bills.

A registered partner could adopt the other partner's child, unless the child was adopted from a foreign country.

These registries afford registered partner specified rights otherwise reserved to married couples.

As they stand, the Communities' Staff Regulations discriminate against homosexuals and their registered partners.

The same Act also amended 73 pieces of legislation to provide registered partners with nearly all of the rights offered to married couples within the state.

We also think registered partnerships are surmountable; the person's registered partner must also be allowed to accompany them.

The act states that the articles in the Adoption Act relating to married couples shall not apply for registered partners.

Couples who have registered their relationships may retain their status as registered partners or "upgrade" to a marriage since the new law has taken effect.

Surviving marital partners paid 7-30% inheritance tax while surviving registered partners paid 17-50%.

We support the idea that registered partners should also be counted as family members but believe that this is provided for within the concept of 'unmarried partners'.

AfriKids Ghana, the Ghanaian registered partner charity, now helps 100,000 people on average each year through 17 projects, covering a fifth of the country.

This act would have provided all the rights of married spouses to registered partners except for the right to adopt and the right to take a common surname.

On 2 July 2009, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia found that it was unconstitutional to prevent registered partners from inheriting each other's property.

"As registered partners and legal residents, they can no longer deny visitation rights," said Mr. Krause, who said he had been treated for congestive heart failure.

We are also doubtful about the definition of ‘family member’, which should be broadened to include spouse, registered partner or unmarried cohabiting partner, regardless of gender.

The Association was specifically created to provide advice and support to all spouses, registered partners and families of Diplomatic Service (DS) Officers.

The measure would allow unmarried partners, including homosexual couples, to register as domestic partners and would expand health care benefits to the registered partners of city workers.

It held that treating registered partners differently from married partners constituted discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, breaching Article 14 of the Slovenian Constitution.

We have nonetheless voted in favour of quite a few of the European Parliament's ameliorative amendments which, for example, put registered partners on an equal footing with married couples.

As regards unmarried partners, including registered partners, the Commission also considers that the recognition of these situations will have to be made by reference to the host Member State legislation.