Yes fortunatelly there is no 12months rule anymore for a WP!
BUT, they said that they will initially only grant a permit for the amount of time you can prove you have lived together and then extend it from there...
I guess they are still careful and you have to still prove that you are in a relationship which to some people might not be so easy.
Re people latching on to get a visa.. I guess this is a problem many many countries have! It s sad because its not nice when someone thinks your relationship is 'fake' when all you want is to be with the person you love!
Tough, but no different in any other country... I think Germany is even stricter and they suspect every relationship and wedding to be fake, as if Germany was the best country in the world
oh well....