Couples can no longer enter into civil unions in Canberra, after the laws became redundant when same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia one year ago.
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However an ACT government review has found those yet to convert their civil unions to marriages still have the same rights as those who are wedded under marriage laws.
More than 50 couples are still registered in civil unions in Canberra - including ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and his partner Anthony Toms.
However couples can no longer enter into a civil union under the Civil Unions Act 2012, as they were only eligible to do so if they were unable to marry under the Commonwealth's Marriage Act 1961.
As same-sex couples are no longer excluded from marrying, they have not been eligible to enter a new civil union since December 9, 2017, when marriage equality began in Australia.
Couples in registered civil unions and celebrants will soon receive a letter from the government reassuring them their civil partnerships remain legally valid.
"If your civil union ceremony was held prior to 9 December 2017, the ACT government will continue to recognise your union in the same way as a marriage," Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury said.
“But now that all Australian couples can marry, regardless of gender, no couple meets the eligibility criteria to enter a new civil union."
Married couples, civil partnership couples and existing civil union couples automatically share the same rights under ACT law.
However, civil unions and civil partnerships are not always automatically recognised for the purposes of some laws made outside the ACT.
There are differences between how couples in marriages, civil unions and civil partnerships ‘prove’ their relationship exists for the purpose of non-ACT laws. Couples who have married do not have to take extra steps to ‘prove’ their relationship status. A marriage certificate will automatically and conclusively serve as evidence of their relationship.
However, civil union and civil partnership couples could be asked to take extra steps to prove the extent of their relationship in certain jurisdictions outside the ACT.
The government last year promised to waive the marriage certificate fee for ACT couples in civil unions who chose to marry after same-sex marriage was legalised, as a celebratory measure. Couples who wed under the ACT's short-lived period of marriage equality in 2013 are also able to have this fee waived.
There were about 80 couples in registered civil unions this time last year.
But Mr Barr, who is also the Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, said the government acknowledged there were couples in existing civil unions who may not want to take this step.
“As Australia’s most inclusive city, the government believes that we shouldn’t interfere with the relationship commitment these couples made to each other," Mr Barr said.
Couples who do convert their civil unions to marriages have been warned that the transition may affect the validity of legal documents, like wills.
The ACT Public Trustee and Guardian has agreed to waive its fee for updating a will or enduring power of attorney that is, or could be, invalidated as a consequence of converting a civil union into a marriage.
However couples who have converted their civil union to a marriage, or are considering doing so, should seek legal advice.
As of September, there were 132 rainbow number plates in circulation in Canberra.
