Book Description

"Counseling Unmarried Couples will give you the tools you need to serve the legal needs of this growing segment of society. It's not just about knowing the legal rules and writing competent agreements; as a lawyer working for unmarried couples, you will need to know how to integrate and interpret the legal rules for your clients in a realistic, comprehensible, and meaningful manner. Only by doing so can you effectively guide your clients, straight and gay, in making wise decision about their homes, their children, and their assets. The fourteen chapters discuss everything that an unmarried couple is likely to encounter, including: living apart, living together, and the option of marriage; financial assets, debts, and insurance; tax consequences, liabilities, and benefits; real estate ownership and management; cohabitation and financial agreements; the rules and practices of parentage; illness and disability planning; estate planning concerns and practices; breaking up: substantive doctrines and procedural tasks. The second edition also features completely new and updated sections covering federal recognition of same-sex marriage, the DOMA ruling, and California's Proposition 8, as well as an entirely revised state law chart. Included is a CD-ROM containing all the documents you'll need to represent these couples, from co-ownership agreements to co-parenting adoptions to sample wills"--Unedited summary from book cover.