Synopses & Reviews
Learn to:
- Get up to speed about essential advance directive documents, such as a power of attorney and living will
- Understand how each state's laws treat same-sex relationships
- Create essential estate planning documents, such as a will and living revocable trust
CD includes helpful tools, forms, and sample legal documents
A practical guide to LGBT legal issues and how to protect yourself, your partner, and your family
Same-Sex Legal Kit For Dummies is a practical, plain-English guide to the legal information and guidance LGBT people, whether single or coupled, need from making decisions about protecting your families to making medical decisions, taking care of finances when one partner is incapacitated, leaving property to loved ones, having and raising children, and much more.
- Understanding the marriage debate figure out what marriage really means and arm yourself with the legal information you need to protect your rights in a same-sex relationship
- The daily grind consider money issues (like merging or keeping finances separate) and make informed decisions about everyday issues families face
- Yours, mine, and ours get the scoop on wills and trusts, and why the living revocable trust is such an important estate planning tool for you and your partner
CD Includes
Dozens of helpful forms and letters to assist you in drafting important legal documents, such as a durable power of attorney, living will, living-together agreement, parenting agreement, and much more.
Please see CD appendix for complete system requirements.
Open the book and find:
- A plain-English explanation of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
- Guidance on facing discrimination
- The ins and outs of artificial insemination, adoption, and surrogacy
- Advice on joining assets and starting a family
- Tax issues for same-sex couples
- The 4-1-1 on immigration concerns for LGBT folks
- How to deal with personal injury and the death of your partner
- What LGBT soldiers need to know about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Synopsis
Grasp the latest legal information for gay and lesbian couplesSame-sex relationships are treated differently under each state's laws, and nearly a quarter of the U.S. population lives in a state with some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples.
Same Sex Legal Kit For Dummies is a practical, plain-English guide to the legal information and guidance lesbian and gay couples need—from making practical decisions about living together and obtaining domestic partner benefits, to making medical decisions, taking care of each other's finances when one partner is incapacitated, leaving property to each other, having and raising children, and much more.
- Discusses power of attorney, health directives, and real estate and personal property ownership
- Covers considerations for bank accounts, investments, and estate planning
- The book's accompanying CD-ROM includes dozens of helpful tools, forms, and letters
- Brings you up to speed on the latest in civil unions, workplace rights, rental agreements and leases, and much more
The information contained in Same Sex Legal Kit For Dummies is invaluable for anyone in a same-sex relationship who needs to grasp the laws and regulations that apply to their unique situation
CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase.
About the Author
Carrie Stone, along with her life partner, co-owns and operates Rainbow Law, an online legal information and document preparation resource for the LGBT community.
John G. Culhane is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Health Law Institute at Widener University School of Law.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: How the Law Views Marriage and Same-Sex Relationships 7
Chapter 1: Being Aware of Same-Sex Legal Issues 9
Chapter 2: Living in a Same-Sex Marriage or Relationship 17
Chapter 3: Eyeing the Challenges that Same-Sex Couples and Their Children Face 37
Chapter 4: Facing Discrimination and Seeking Help 49
Part II: Everyday Law and Your Family 63
Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home: Living Together 65
Chapter 6: A Quick Lowdown on Joining Assets 89
Chapter 7: Creating a Family: Yours, Mine, and Ours 107
Chapter 8: Wading through Tax Issues for Unmarried Partners 131
Chapter 9: Living Together in Sickness and in Health 145
Chapter 10: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do 171
Part III: Planning Ahead to Protect Your Loved Ones 185
Chapter 11: LGBT Estate Planning: Laying the Groundwork 187
Chapter 12: Last Will and Testament: Your Primary Estate Planning Document 201
Chapter 13: The Living Revocable Trust: The Keystone to Your Estate Plan 227
Chapter 14: Funding: Transferring Assets into Your Trust 251
Chapter 15: Passing Along Your Employment Benefits to Your Partner 265
Chapter 16: Dealing with the Personal Injury and Death of Your Partner 275
Part IV: Handling Other Relevant Issues 289
Chapter 17: Wading Through Immigration Issues 291
Chapter 18: After Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Living in the Military as LGB (not T) 303
Chapter 19: Becoming an Activist for LGBT Equality 317
Part V: The Part of Tens 327
Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Keys to Dealing with Disgruntled Relatives 329
Chapter 21: Ten Ways the Law Harms the LGBT Community 335
Appendix A: About the CD 341
Index 347