Domestic Partnerships

Posted Saturday, June 26, 2010 by John S. Palmer

Washington State’s Domestic Partnership law permits same-sex couples, and unmarried heterosexual couples in which at least one partner is at least 62 years of age, to register as domestic partners. Older heterosexual couples are permitted to register as domestic partners because social security and pension laws often make it impractical for these couples to marry.

Domestic Partnerships are subject to the same community property laws that apply to married couples. From an estate planning prospective, this permits domestic partners to include a Community Property Agreement in their estate plan. Also, if a domestic partner dies without a Will, the surviving domestic partner will automatically inherit a share of the deceased partner’s estate, just like a surviving spouse would in the same situation.

Other rights of registered domestic partners include:

Same rights as spouse to visit partner in a health care facility.
Same rights as “immediate family member” with regard to disclosure of partner’s health care information.
Right to assert claim for family support from deceased partner’s estate.
Right to assert claim against deceased partner’s estate if unintentionally omitted from deceased partner’s Will.
Same rights as surviving spouse to continue receiving a senior citizen property tax exemption previously granted to a deceased partner.

Domestic Partnerships registered in another state are recognized in Washington, and receive all benefits allowed in Washington. However, benefits allowed in another state that are not allowed in Washington will not be recognized here.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at (425) 455-5513, toll free at (877) 455-5513, or info@palmerlegal.com.