NSW Birth Death and Marriages
The NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages celebrated 10 years of relationship registrations in July 2020 with more than 50,000 couples now having registered their relationship.
Under the NSW Relationships Register Act 2010, couples can apply to the Registry for their relationship to be officially registered, regardless of their sex.
NSW Registrar Amanda Ianna said the legislation provides couples with the dignity and respect of formal recognition of their relationship and it is growing in popularity.
“Registered Relationships are rising year-on-year and almost 8,500 couples signed on the dotted love line in 2019, with annual numbers showing more than a four-fold increase since 2011. Marriages meantime, have stayed relatively steady at around 40,000 per year.” Ms Ianna said.
“Registration of a relationship provides the security of formal legal recognition as ‘de facto partners’ for the purposes of most Commonwealth and New South Wales legislation – without getting married.
“Their decision to commit to a shared life with each other is respected in the community; and now with marriage equality – there is always the option for wedding bells further down the track.
“People who register their relationship are able to access their legal entitlements by providing one certificate instead of having to supply a variety of documents to prove that they are in a committed relationship.”
To register a relationship, couples need to be 18 years of age or over, with at least one partner residing in New South Wales, and not be married or in another registered relationship.
It costs $223 to register a relationship and that includes the official certificate.
Couples also have the option to book a relationship ceremony at the Registry for a total package price of $407.
/Public Release.
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