PART 1E+WDefinition of “domestic abuse”

2Definition of “personally connected”E+W

(1)For the purposes of this Act, two people are “personally connected” to each other if any of the following applies—

(a)they are, or have been, married to each other;

(b)they are, or have been, civil partners of each other;

(c)they have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);

(d)they have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);

(e)they are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other;

(f)they each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child (see subsection (2));

(g)they are relatives.

(2)For the purposes of subsection (1)(f) a person has a parental relationship in relation to a child if—

(a)the person is a parent of the child, or

(b)the person has parental responsibility for the child.

(3)In this section—

  • “child” means a person under the age of 18 years;

  • “civil partnership agreement” has the meaning given by section 73 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004;

  • “parental responsibility” has the same meaning as in the Children Act 1989 (see section 3 of that Act);

  • “relative” has the meaning given by section 63(1) of the Family Law Act 1996.

Commencement Information

I2S. 2 in force at 1.10.2021 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2021/1038, reg. 2(b)