Legal Articles

Do-It-Yourself Domestic Partnership Agreement for the LGBT Community, by Lindalisa Severo :: A new legal product lets you construct a domestic partnership agreement that might help you, depending on which state you reside in. more »

Choosing an LGBT Friendly Attorney, by Deborah Wald, Esq., for About.com :: Gay couples looking to adopt face a number of challenges that married, heterosexual couples do not. Adoption laws in the United States remain a patchwork quilt when it comes to lesbians and gay men adopting. Many states do not allow adoptions by any unmarried couples, which automatically precludes same-sex couples from adopting in those states. Read this great article to get a full understanding of how important it is to have an LGBT-friendly attorney on your side. more »

Prop 8 Voter Study Shows Some Surprises, by The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Freedom to Marry, Let California Ring and Marriage for All :: Precinct-by-precinct analysis and other data debunk myths about 
African-American voting on marriage equality. In fact, support for freedom to marry grows across nearly all demographics. more »

The Gaytheist Agenda: One Issue Voters?, by S. Drescher :: It’s important for everybody to realize that LGBT concerns are in no way “one issue”, so voting based on them can in no way make a person a “One Issue Voter”. Allow me to break it down for you. more »

UCLA’s Williams Institute Estimates That More Than 11,000 Same-Sex Couples Have Married In California, by The Williams Institute :: New studies show that 109,000 same-sex couples in california are raising more than 52,000 children; those registered as domestic partners have been together more than ten years. more »

When Gays and Lesbians Break Up: Creating a Parenting Plan for Separate Households, by Katharine Swan :: Co-parenting after a breakup is difficult for many gay and lesbian parents, as both parties need to be willing to synchronize their lives for the sake of the children. Faced with a lack of options, many gay and lesbian parents use parenting plans to navigate the difficult waters of parenting after a break-up. Being informed on this important topic could make family life easier for everyone involved. more »

Registered Domestic Partner Planning, by April C. Ball, Esq. :: The beginning of fall signals the beginning of year-end tax planning for individuals and businesses. This year, getting an early start to Registered Domestic Partner planning is more critical than ever. Why? As of 2007, the law in California changed for Registered Domestic Partner tax return filing. This, in turn, will affect what type of returns Registered Domestic Partners file in California on April 15, 2008. more »

Parenting Contracts for LGBT Families, by Katharine Swan :: If you and your partner decide to have a child, very likely you will be making many of the same decisions together that heterosexual couples do. The major difference is that the law mandates both heterosexual parents’ rights and responsibilities, while in an LGBT family, the non-legal parent is ignored unless the court is given reason to do otherwise. Read here to decide if a parenting contract is the right choice for you and your children. more »

How to Hire a Reproductive Attorney: 5 Questions to Ask, by Melissa B. Brisman, Esq. and Kelly Soloway :: If you’re facing fertility challenges and turning to assisted reproductive technologies, you may need some expert legal advice. To make sure you get the best, you’ll need to do some interrogating. Check out these five timely suggestions for finding the right reproductive attorney for you. more »

Legal Checklist :: It [the law] presumes you want all of your property to go to and medical decisions to be made by, in order of preference, your “legally wedded spouse,” children, parents, siblings, but never your same-sex partner. Fortunately, you can make different choices about how you want those matters handled. Read here to find out more on this important topic. more »

Legal Issues For The LGBT Community, by Melissa B. Brisman, Esq. and Will Halm, Esq. :: While there are now several states that affirm the legal formation of gay and lesbian families, there are as many that do not. The most important thing for couples to remember is to get the best legal representation possible before starting journey. Nothing should be left to chance. more »

Protecting Our Relationships, by Joyce Kauffman, Esq. :: It is essential that same-sex couples (as well as single LGBT people) do all that we can to protect our relationships to one another and to our children. There are a number of important documents we should consider having prepared for us. more »

What Can You Afford? :: A few facts to remind us that marriage equality IS important (as if we’d ever forget, right?) more »

Legal Gay Marriage, by Joyce Kauffman, Esq. :: Over 8,100 LGBT couples have married in Massachusetts since May 17, 2004, when gay marriage was legalized. Despite stepped-up efforts to enact harsh anti-gay laws across the country, our community continues to push forward to secure and protect our rights. more »

The Domestic Partnership Act in California, by April C. Ball, Esq. :: AB 205 is The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003 by assembly member Jackie Goldberg (AB 205). It provides legal standing in California for registered same-sex couples and for certain registered opposite-sex couples where two adults have chosen to share one another’s lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring. more »

Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples, by April C. Ball, Esq. :: In the current societal climate of hate and homophobia, it has never been more important to complete a competent estate plan to protect you, your life partner and especially your children. more »

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