A heterosexual couple have been granted a hearing in the Supreme Court, where they will fight for their right to a civil partnership, rather than a marriage.

The case, which was launched in 2014 by Londoners Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, challenges the Civil Partnerships Act 2004, which at the moment only applies to same-sex couples.

As the law stands, heterosexual couples are not allowed to have a civil partnership, as they already have the option to marry legally in the UK.

Gay couples, however, have the choice of a civil partnership or a marriage – something Steinfeld and Keidan claim is 'sexist' and 'patriarchal.'

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Civil partnerships were created in 2004, to give same-sex couples the rights of married opposite-sex couples, such as pension benefits and inheritance tax exemption.

And of course, the advent of their becoming available to same sex couples was a brilliant revolution for love and acceptance. A denouncement of the heteronormative tradition of marriage and a great way for homosexual love to be ratified.

But since they've become a great solution for same sex couples, there has been a clamouring for civil partnerships to become more widely available.

Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan said in a statement:

'Over the last few years, we've heard the same message: while most couples want financial and legal protection for themselves and their families, not all feel comfortable with marriage.

Civil partnerships offer a legally binding arrangement that is fair, popular and good for families and children.'

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Family law barrister Jasvir Singh OBE joined in the debate on Twitter, which has seen hundreds of responses on the issue.

Sarah Snow, a partner at Stowe Family Law LLP says a civil partnership may be preferred by mixed sex couples.

She says it's an option for couples who 'seek the legal and financial recognition, rights and benefits enjoyed by married couples, yet feel that marriage with its customs, practices, values and social expectations, does not reflect the essence of their own relationship or the core values they attribute to the dynamic of their family life'.

This prompts the question - is marriage outdated as an institution?

Many women feel that yes, in 2017, as marriage was designed by men and founded on the premise of male ownership, it is an outdated concept and it's time we had a fitting alternative to suit the needs and mindset of both sexes.