Many same-sex couples who got married overseas will now have their marital statuses legally recognized from Thursday. However, there are no plans for those already in civil partnerships to have their union "upgraded" to marriage. Couples who have already entered into civil partnerships in the UK will have to wait until
later in 2014 before they can upgrade them to marriages.
The law is currently only applicable to England and Wales, although Scotland has passed a bill approving of same sex marriage, there are no changes in the law expected in Northern Ireland.
In the UK, couples wishing to get married at a registry office must give 15 days' notice, so Thursday is the day to register if couples wish to be the first to benefit come March 29, reports
BBC .
Outside a High Court in 2006, lesbian couple
Sue Wilkinson and Celia Kitzinger had a judge reject their marriage in UK law, despite the fact that the pair were legally wed in Canada in 2003. The couple will be the first to benefit from the
bill on March 29.
