Los Angeles Domestic Partnership Attorney

A domestic partnership in California is a legal relationship available to same-sex couples and to certain opposite-sex couples. It affords the couple “the same rights, protections, and benefits, and…the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law…” as married spouses.  Contact a domestic partnership lawyer in Los Angeles, CA if you have any legal questions or concerns.

Same-sex couples can register as domestic partners and receive rights such as hospital visitation privileges, the right to use employee sick leave for an ill partner or partner’s child, and a variety of other laws dealing with wills, death benefits and family leave.

A.B. 205 – California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003

A.B. 205 provides the same rights and duties to same-sex couples as those of spouses. It allows for recognition of similar same-sex unions in other jurisdictions. Under A.B. 205, domestic partners are now financially responsible for each other, both during the relationship and after it ends. Domestic partners are now responsible for each other’s debts.  An experienced Los Angeles family lawyer can help answer any legal questions or concerns you may have.

Many states offer the same benefits to domestic partners as they do married couples. Benefits include matters like:

• Inheritance
• Guardianship
• Health insurance
• Insurance
• Bereavement
• Sick leave
• Relocation
• Health, dental and vision insurance

At Boyd Law, we can discuss your domestic partnership with you, explain your rights and obligations, prepare your domestic partnership agreement, and ensure that your registration documents are complete. A domestic partnership agreement should be carefully thought out and drafted in order to fully detail the rights and obligations of the parties involved. When entering into an agreement, domestic partners rely on us for effective and constructive advice. The Los Angeles domestic partnership lawyers at Boyd Law assist clients with negotiating, drafting, and reviewing the agreement. Contact our office today to speak with one of our Los Angeles domestic partnership attorneys today.

Summary Dissolution

In California, to qualify for a summary dissolution of your domestic partnership you must meet ALL of the requirements. You and your domestic partner:

• Both want to terminate your domestic partnership;
• Have not been registered as a domestic partnership for more than 5 years on the date you file your Notice of Termination of Domestic Partnership;
• Have no children together born or adopted before or during the domestic partnership (and neither of you is pregnant now);
• Do not own any part of land or buildings;
• Do not rent any land or buildings (except for where you now live, as long as you do not have a 1-year lease or option to buy);
• Do not owe more than $6,000 for debts acquired since the date of your domestic partnership (Do not count car loans);
• Have less than $40,000 worth of property acquired during the domestic partnership (Do not count your cars);
• Do not have separate property worth more than $40,000 (Do not count your cars);
• Agree that neither partner wants partner support from the other; AND
• Have signed an agreement that either divides your property (including your cars) and debts or says there is no community property or debts to divide.

If you and your partner decide to go your separate ways, our firm is here to provide compassionate guidance through the legal obstacles ahead. We assist domestic partners with complex property division and parenting issues, such as child custody, visitation rights, and in certain circumstances, child support.

The domestic partnership law in California is continually changing. The family attorneys in Los Angeles, CA at Boyd Law can help you understand the different rights and obligations afforded by California law and advise you on all aspects of same-sex marriage, domestic partnership registry, and dissolution under the present legal system. Our attorneys can also help you decide if you should enter into a registered domestic partnership or a marriage, as well as the difference in federal rights and benefits available depending on whether you are married or in a domestic partnership. Contact our office today at 310-777-0231 for a free consultation.