A legal guide for lesbian and gay couples

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.

Introduction: Your LGBT family companion

How we see our relationships

How this book can help

Using the forms in this book

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 the book.

Your LGBT family companion : How we see our relationships

How this book can help

Using the forms in this book

ch. 1. Defining family: basics of marriage, domestic partnership, and more : Defining family

Domestic partnership

Employee benefits for domestic partners

Other benefits

Marriage and marriage-like relationships in the United States: an overview

Can you get married?

Creating marriage-like relationships by contract

Ending a relationship

Keeping up with legal changes

ch. 2. Marriage and marriage equivalent relationships : Same-sex marriage in the marriage equality states

Marriage equivalent: California's domestic partnership law

Other marriage equivalent laws

Pre- and postpartnership agreements

Marriage lite: relationship recognition in Wisconsin and Colorado

Is marriage (or its equivalent) right for you?

ch. 3. Money, insurance, name changes, and immigration issues : Cash and credit

Insurance ; Name changes

Foreign lovers: visits and immigration

ch. 4. Renting a home together : If a landlord discriminates against you

Sharing a rental

Sharing one partner's rental home

Renter's insurance

Moving on

Public benefits and living together

ch. 5. I'm mom, she's mommy (or I'm daddy, he's papa) : Legal parents and the second-parent trap

Having a child

Adopting a child

Foster parenting

Becoming a guardian

Agreements with teenagers.

ch. 6. Medical and financial matters: delegating authority : Health care decisions

Physician-assisted suicide

Burial and body disposition

Estate planning note

Durable power of attorney for finances

ch. 7. Looking ahead: estate planning : Death and living together contracts

Wills

A sample will

Estate planning beyond a will

ch. 8. Living together contracts for lesbian and gay couples : Living together contracts are legal

When you need a living together contract

What to include in a living together contract

Sample living together contracts

Contracts for jointly acquired items

Modifying your agreement

Beware the tax man!

ch. 9. Buying a home together (and other real estate ventures) : Finding a house

How much house can you afford?

Proceeding with your purchase

Taking title to your new home

Contracts for home purchase and ownership

ch. 10. Going separate ways: issues at the end of a relationship : Breaking up: an overview

The separation process: what to do

Getting to yes: how to work toward resolution

Ideas for solving some common problems

Breaking up when there's no legal relationship

Dissolving a same-sex marriage

Dissolving a straight marriage

Domestic violence in same-sex relationships

ch. 11. Help beyond the book : Hiring a lawyer

Doing your own legal research

Legal organizations

Appendix. Using the interactive forms : Editing RTFs

List of forms.

Introduction : Your LGBT family companion : How we see our relationships

How this book can help

Using forms in this book

Defining family: basics of marriage, domestic partnership, and more

Defining family ; The rise (and likely fall) of domestic partnership

Benefits for domestic partners ; Making it legal, and the key ramifications of marriage ; Prenuptial and prepartnership agreements ; Is marriage (or its equivalent) right for you? ; Special issues when one partner is transgender ; Adopting your partner ; Keeping up with legal changes

Money, insurance, name changes, and immigration issues : Cash and credit ; Insurance ; Name changes ; Foreign lovers: visits and immigration

Renting a home together : If a landlord discriminates against you ; Sharing a rental ; Sharing one partner's rented home ; Renter's insurance ; Moving on ; Public benefits and living together

I'm Mom, she's Mommy (or I'm Daddy, he's Papa) : Legal parents and the second-parent trap ; Having a child ; Adopting a child ; Foster parenting ; Becoming a guardian ; Agreement with teenagers

Medical and financial matters: delegating authority : Health care decisions ; Physician-assisted suicide ; Burial and body disposition ; Estate planning note ; Durable power of attorney for finances

Looking ahead: estate planning : Death and living together contracts ; Wills ; A sample will ; Estate planning beyond a will

Living together contracts for lesbian and gay couples : Living together contracts are legal ; When you need a living together contract ; What to include in a living together contract ; Sample living together contracts ; Contracts for jointly acquired items ; Modifying your agreement ; Beware the tax man!

Buying a home together (and other real estate ventures) : Finding a house ; How much house can you afford? ; Proceeding with your purchase ; Taking title to your new home ; Contracts for home purchase and ownership

Going separate ways: issues at the end of a relationship : Breaking up: an overview ; The separation process: what to do ; Getting to yes: how to work toward resolution ; Ideas for solving some common problems ; Breaking up when there's no legal relationship ; Dissolving a same-sex marriage ; Dissolving a straight marriage ; Domestic violence in same-sex relationships

Help beyond the book : Hiring a lawyer ; Doing your own legal research ; Legal organizations

Appendix : How to use the downloadable forms on the Nolo website : Editing RTFs ; List of forms available on the Nolo website.