Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010

The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (the “Act”) was enacted on the 19th of July 2010, however the provisions of the Act are yet to be enforced by Ministerial Order. It is expected that subsequent to amendments to the Welfare Acts, sections of the Act should be in force in early 2011. The most significant provisions of the Act relate to the conferring of tax benefits on Cohabiting couples either of the same or opposite sex and the conferring of property rights on “qualifying cohabitants”. This Act marks a radical change to present property rights.