Are domestic partnerships legal in the United States?

Answer 1

No. The requirements for a registered domestic partnership vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. However, one basic requirement is that neither party can be married, except to each other (and only if their same-sex marriage is not recognized by the state issuing the domestic partnership).

Answer 2

Yes. Parenthood does not prevent anyone from registering a domestic partnership. It should be noted, though, that a child born to your domestic partner is not automatically considered your child. This is especially true for same-sex domestic partners, who must obtain a stepparent adoption to be considered legal parents.

Answer 3

No. No existing domestic partnership law allows a married person to enter into a domestic partnership, unless that person is married to the other partner. However, you are free to enter into a domestic partnership with a woman who is married to another woman, if you live in a state that does not recognize same-sex marriages.

Answer 4

Yes, but only in some jurisdictions. States: California; Maine; Maryland; Nevada; Oregon; Washington; and, Wisconsin. Also: In Arizona: Eureka Springs, Phoenix and Tucson. In California: Arcata, Berkeley, Cathedral City, Davis, Los Angeles County, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Marin County, Oakland, Palm Springs, Palo Alto, Petaluma, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. In Colorado: Boulder and Denver. In Connecticut: Hartford. In Florida: Broward County, Gainesville, Key West, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, South Miami and West Palm Beach. In Georgia: Athens-Clark County, Atlanta and Fulton County. In Illinois: Cook County, Oak Park and Urbana. In Iowa: Iowa City. In Kansas: Lawrence (City). In Louisiana: New Orleans. In Maine: Portland. In Maryland: Takoma Park. In Massachusetts: Boston, Bewster, Brookline, Cambridge, Nantucket, Provincetown, Truro. In Michigan: Ann Arbor. In Minnesota: Duluth, Edina, Golden Valley, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Red Wing, Richfield, Robbinsdale, Rochester, St. Louis Park and St. Paul. In Missouri: Boone County, Columbia (City), Jackson County, Kansas City, St. Louis, University City. In New York: Albany, East Hampton, Great Neck, Great Neck Plaza, Huntington, Ithaca, New York City, North Hempstead, Rochester, Rockland County, Roslyn Estates, Southampton, Southold, Suffolk County and Westchester County. In North Carolina: Asheville, Carrboro and Chapel Hill. In Ohio: Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Toledo and Yellow Springs. In Oregon: Ashland, Eugene and Multnomah County. In Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In Utah: Salt Lake City. In Washington: Lacey, Olympia, Seattle and Tumwater. In Wisconsin: Dane County.

Answer 5

No. A domestic partnership can usually be either same-sex or opposite sex. Domestic partnerships usually only confer a small number of benefits, although in California, Oregon and Nevada, they do confer the same benefits as marriage, except for the use of the word "marriage."

Same-sex marriages are portable to other jurisdictions that recognize same-sex marriages. Many domestic partnership registries do not have reciprocity with other registries.

In the United States, a same-sex marriage is recognized as a marriage under federal law. No domestic partnership is recognized as a marriage under federal law.

Domestic partnerships usually require that the couple live together. There is no such requirement for marriage.

Answer 6

In some jurisdictions they can. In others, they cannot. Each jurisdiction has their own eligibility criteria for domestic partnership. A heterosexual couple can register a domestic partnership in New York City, for example, but cannot do so with the state of California.

Answer 7

Yes, but they are usually very few and nowhere near the equivalent of legal marriage, except for the statewide registry of domestic partnerships in California, Nevada and Oregon, which provide benefits significantly equivalent to legal marriage.

Answer 8

No because men and women can get married in any country. Gay people have domestic partnerships because they can't get married in many places.

Answer 9

No. Only unmarried persons are eligible for domestic partnership registration.

Answer 10

Generally no. One of the usual requirements for registering a domestic partnership is that both partners must be unmarried.