According to the Office of National Statistics, same-sex couples
formed 6,385 civil partnerships in the UK in 2010, with 3,119 male
and 3,266 female - an increase of 1.7 per cent compared with the
previous year.
Despite this, there were a total of 509 dissolutions in 2010, of
which 203 were to male couples and 306 to female couples.
This is a 44 per cent jump since 2009, when there were only 353
dissolutions.
Christopher McIntosh, solicitor at Kingsley Napley LLP, who
specialise in civil partnerships, said: "This spike in
numbers probably reflects the numbers of people who entered into a
civil partnership in a burst of enthusiasm that gay marriage was
suddenly possible in all but name.
"Now, however, the day to day reality may be setting in."
