A legal guide for lesbian and gay couples

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Title:

A legal guide for lesbian and gay couples

Author:

Hertz, Frederick author.

ISBN:

9781413322798

Edition:

18th edition.

Physical Description:

418 pages : forms ; 23 cm

Series:

Nolo Press self-help law books.

Contents:

Defining family : basics of marriage, domestic partnership, and more -- Money, insurance, name changes, and immigration issues -- Renting a home together -- I'm mom, she's mommy (or I'm daddy, he's papa) -- Medical and financial matters : delegating authority -- Looking ahead : estate planning -- Living together contracts for lesbian and gay couples -- Buying a home together (and other real estate ventures) -- Going separate ways : issues at the end of a relationship -- Help beyond this book.

Subject Term:

Gay couples -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States.

Genre:

Law for laypersons

Added Author:

Doskow, Emily

Added Corporate Author:

Nolo (Firm)

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Law Library (WashCo Gov Ctr, Stillwater)	KF539 .C87 2016	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Protect yourself and your loved one with sound legal planning

Gay and lesbian couples have gained a lot of legal ground in recent years. Although same-sex marriage is now legal across the U.S.,laws governing civil unions and domestic partnerships vary from state to state.

So it's still important to define and protect your relationship in the eyes of the law--and A Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples can help.

This plain-English guide shows you how to:
structure your relationship with a contract jointly buy a house or other property make practical decisions about living together, marrying, or registering as legal partners make a will or living trust make medical decisions for each other if needed have and raise children through adoption, donors, surrogacy, or foster parenting, and deal with the end of a relationship.
The 18th edition is completely revised to provide the latest on same-sex marriage, domestic partnerships, and civil unions, and new information regarding parentage laws.

All forms are now downloadable via a special link at nolo.com.

Author Notes

Frederick Hertz is a practicing attorney and the author of Making It Legal: Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnerships Civil Unions.
Emily Doskow, a practicing attorney/mediator, is the author of Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce and a coauthor of Making It Legal: A Guide to Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnerships Civil Unions.

Introduction Your LGBT Family Companion	p. 1
How We See Our Relationships	p. 3
How This Book Can Help	p. 5
Using the Forms in This Book	p. 6
1 Defining Family: Basics of Marriage, Domestic Partnership, and More	p. 7
Denning Family	p. 9
The Rise (and Likely Fall) of Domestic Partnership	p. 10
Benefits for Domestic Partners	p. 20
Making It Legal, and the Key Ramifications of Marriage	p. 23
Prenuptial and Prepartnership Agreements	p. 25
Is Marriage (or Its Equivalent) Right for You?	p. 26
Special Issues When One Partner Is Transgender	p. 29
Adopting Your Partner	p. 32
Keeping Up With Legal Changes	p. 33
2 Money, Insurance, Name Changes, and Immigration issues	p. 35
Cash and Credit	p. 36
Insurance	p. 47
Name Changes	p. 50
Foreign Lovers: Visits and Immigration	p. 54
3 Renting a Home Together	p. 63
If a Landlord Discriminates Against You	p. 64
Sharing a Rental	p. 66
Sharing One Partner's Rented Home	p. 70
Renter's Insurance	p. 74
Moving On	p. 75
Public Benefits and Living Together	p. 76
4 I'm Mom, She's Mommy (or I'm Daddy, He's Papa)	p. 79
Legal Parents and the Second-Parent Trap	p. 80
Having a Child	p. 100
Adopting a Child	p. 118
Foster Parenting	p. 128
Becoming a Guardian	p. 132
Agreements With Teenagers	p. 138
5 Medical and Financial Matters: Delegating Authority	p. 141
Health Care Decisions	p. 144
Physician-Assisted Suicide	p. 156
Burial and Body Disposition	p. 157
Estate Planning Note	p. 160
Durable Power of Attorney for Finances	p. 161
6 Looking Ahead: Estate Planning	p. 177
Death and Living Together Contracts	p. 179
Wills	p. 180
A Sample Will	p. 192
Estate Planning Beyond a Will	p. 208
7 Living Together Contracts for Lesbian and Gay Couples	p. 229
Living Together Contracts Are Legal	p. 232
When You Need a Living Together Contract	p. 235
What to Include in a Living Together Contract	p. 236
Sample Living Together Contracts	p. 242
Contracts for Jointly Acquired Items	p. 247
Modifying Your Agreement	p. 267
Beware the Tax Man!	p. 267
8 Buying a Home Together (and Other Real Estate Ventures)	p. 269
Finding a House	p. 271
How Much House Can You Afford?	p. 274
Proceeding With Your Purchase	p. 282
Taking Title to Your New Home	p. 287
Contracts for Home Purchase and Ownership	p. 291
9 Going Separate Ways: Issues at the End of a Relationship	p. 317
Breaking Up: An Overview	p. 319
The Separation Process: What to Do	p. 319
Getting to Yes: How to Work Toward Resolution	p. 324
Ideas for Solving Some Common Problems	p. 335
Breaking Up When There's No Legal Relationship	p. 353
Dissolving a Same-Sex Marriage	p. 355
Dissolving a Straight Marriage	p. 369
Domestic Violence in Same-Sex Relationships	p. 374
10 Help Beyond the Book	p. 375
Hiring a Lawyer	p. 376
Doing Your Own Legal Research	p. 380
Legal Organizations	p. 385
A Appendix: Using the Interactive Forms	p. 389
Editing RTFs	p. 390
List of Forms	p. 391
Index	p. 393

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