PSHE: Marriage and civil partnerships

In what year did the Marriage Act - the main piece of legislation regarding marriage - come into force?

• 2004

• 1949

• 2014

• 1989

True or false?

A person can only get married or form a civil partnership in England or Wales if they are 18 or over.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

Since 2022, the legal age of marriage and civil partnerships is 18 in England and Wales.

Previously, people could get married from age 16 as long as they had parental consent. The new law also applies to cultural or religious marriages that are not registered with the local council. Under the new rules, children will not face penalties but adults who facilitate their marriage could face up to seven years in jail and a fine. This would include adults who took children abroad to carry out the marriage.

In 2024, for the first time, the proportion of married adults in the UK fell below ____%. 

• 50%

• 80%

• 30%

• 70%

True or false?

If an engagement is broken, a woman can keep the engagement ring.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

True! However, if at the time she was given it the man specifically said that it should be returned if the engagement were broken, then it has to be returned.

Choose the correct definition.

Living together as a couple without being married or civil partners.

• Civil partnership

• Marriage

• Co-habiting

Choose the correct definition.

A legal union with rights similar to those of marriage, created originally for same-sex couples and extended to opposite-sex couples.

• Civil partnership

• Marriage

• Co-habiting

True or false?

Arranged marriage is legal as long as both people give their consent and the marriage is entered into freely.

• TRUE

• FALSE

What was the average estimated cost of a UK wedding in 2024?

• £10,000 - £15,000

• £21,000 - £25,000

• More than £30,000

• £5,000 - £10,000

In 2024, most marriages in the UK took place in couples between the age of...?

• over 35 years old

• under 25 years old

• 30-34 years old

• 25-28 years old

If a couple in a civil partnership no longer wish to be married, they can apply for a _____.

• dissolution
• divorce
• ceremony