Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Hey Baby, I think I want to PACs you?!

After being hounded by our notaire who is also a good friend to get our "sheet" together and get PACsed in France, we have set a date and shall soon become legally bound to each other in a civil partnership. The whole "ceremony" will take  about 15 minutes in front of a judge in the tribunal d'instance in Perpignan ( providing I can get all the paperwork together before then, that is!) and afterwards we shall have the same status as any other Mr and Mrs en France.
If we don't get PACsed and one of us pops our clogs, the survivor will have to pay loads and loadsa money to the government in taxes and as we have already paid loads and loadsa money into the French coffers, this is kinda something we want to avoid, like..
So now, I have a list , two pages long of all the paperwork required ; attestations, birth certs ( less than 3 months old AND translated, FFS!!!), certificats de coutumes ( whatever that is?), a medical, 2 pints of blood and a cert saying we're not bonkers ( may be difficult to attain for Mr Getrealfrance, in fairness). Phew, I'm flippin exhausted just looking at it.
Of course, Mr Getrealfrance will just turn up on the day and sign on the dotted line and wonder what all the fuss was about!!
The PACs status was introduced in 1999 in France, mainly to help same sex unions legimitise their partnerships ( Gay marriage is still illegal in France, see here). However, interestingly, only 6% of PACs since then have been same sex unions with two out of every three "marriages" now opting for the PACs route. Also, only 15% of PACs relationships are annulled whilst the divorce rate for traditional marriage in France is over 50%.
Anyway, on to more important matters, a gals gotta have a nice dress for her Pacsy Party, so here's what I've picked out, what do you think, any suggestions, les filles?


14 comments:

  1. Likey missus! Of course you could just sell up and come back to the green green grass of home! Xx

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  2. Oh, felicitations! Dress looks fab. Bon chance with the paperwork, I hate paperwork and I REALLY HATE French paperwork!

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    1. Nothing quite so soul destroying. Twould drive you to drink! :)

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  3. Certificat de Coutume from your embassy or consulate setting out the position on marriage in your country of nationality. Why? Search me.
    Haven't they asked you for a Certificat de Celibat?
    Strike me that if you're not bonkers beforehand you will be by the time you get that lot done....so I'd do the bonkers bit early!

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    1. I have a certificat de celibat from the Irish embassy, I'll ring them and see if that will suffice, thanks Fly

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  4. You've just put me off doing the same...!

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    1. Lol! Let's see how I get on, then I can give you the Pacs pack!

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  5. Yeah, ring embassy, they are used to desperate foreigners looking for random bits of paper!

    Love the frock - have a ball!

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    1. Thanks Fabbie, I rang the Irish embassy and the certificat de celibat will suffice they told me. Let's hope the French authorities agree!

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  6. and you forget the "contract" too... When we did it It was absolutely not romantic at all, just like going to the prefecture... So have a party after that ! But I cannot remember the blood thing... maybe it has changed since 2010 ?

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    1. Oh yes, then there is the contract. We're just going for the simple one, what did you do?

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