I’ve been talking about Marriage Laws this month here in the Marriage blog and one subject that has come up has been domestic partnership. Civil unions and domestic partnerships may seem similar, but they aren’t. Mimi wrote to ask:
We live in New Jersey and we’ve talked about the merits of a domestic partnership versus getting married and now we have civil unions – what’s better?
There is no better or worse, Mimi, these are all different options. We’ll take a look at civil unions in New Jersey later. For now let’s talk about domestic partnership specifically.
Domestic Partnership
You can obtain your Affidavit of Domestic Partnership from your local Registrar of Vital Statistics in any New Jersey municipality. Check with your local registrar’s office on whether or not you need to make an appointment before you head in to register. Also, registering for a domestic partnership does not apply to all applicants nor does it give you the same rights as a civil union or a marriage.
For example, in order to apply for a domestic partnership you need to be a same-sex couple or a couple where both partners are 62 years old or older. So if you don’t fall into either of these categories, Mimi, you can scratch domestic partnership off your list.
When you go to apply for your Affidavit of Domestic Partnership you will need to provide proof of residence and proof of joint financial responsibility. You can do this by presenting proof of:
- Joint deed, mortgage agreement or lease
- Joint bank account
- Joint ownership of motor vehicle
- Designation of one of the persons as primary beneficiary in the other person’s insurance policy, retirement plan or will
Prior to February 19, 2007, domestic partnerships were the only option for same-sex couples in New Jersey. After that date, Civil Unions for same-sex and other partners became available. The civil union gives couples marriage like benefits from medical decision making to health insurance to the ability not to testify against a partner in a court case. These are state only granted protections and do not extend to your federal benefits (such as social security).
I hope that answered your question, Mimi!
Related Articles:
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Ask a Marriage Blogger: Do You Know Where Civil Unions Came From?
Religious Marriage versus Civil Marriage