A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples by Hayden Curry

This book is outdated in terms of law, but serves as a historical reference.

Now more than ever, it's important that you define and protect your relationship in the eyes of the law. If you don't, you run the risk of being shut out each other's lives -- and the lives of children you co-parent -- in times of medical, financial or personal crisis.

This practical, plain-English guide shows lesbian and gay couples how to:

*make practical decisions about living together
*obtain domestic partner benefits
*make medical decisions for each other when needed
*take care of your partner's finances when your partner can't
*leave property to each other
*understand the practical and legal aspects of having and raising children through adoption, donor insemination, surrogacy or foster parenting

A Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples, now in its 12th edition; is completely revised and updated to cover new domestic-partnership laws in California and New Jersey, same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and Canada, the latest on raising children and updated estate planning laws.