Can a marriage be switched to a civil partnership following gender reassignment surgery?

Question: Me and my husband have been married for over 15 years and I’ve been aware of his desire to live life as a woman for a little over 10 years now. He kept his cross dressing and desire to live his life as a woman away from me, but I have come to terms with things now. He’s now been told he can have the gender reassignment surgery which is fantastic news.

I love my husband very much and I cannot imagine being without him, male or female. As so, we want to stay married, but I’m told we will have to change this to a civil partnership as we will become a same sex couple. Is this something that is done automatically? Or is it more complicated than simply changing from a marriage to a civil partnership?

Answer: Firstly, I would suggest contacting the Gender Trust who have their own website – http://gendertrust.org.uk. They should be able to help both you and your partner with support and advice.

Additionally, because of the law as it stands today. You would need to get a divorce you’re your husband initially, before you could look to enter into a civil partnership with your husband after his surgery. In order to do this, you would also need to apply for a gender recognition certificate (GRC).

Consult Hylton-Potts, the experts who offer fixed fees, and give excellent value.

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