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A Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples |  | Authors: Denis Clifford Attorney, Frederick Hertz Attorney, Emily Doskow Attorney
Publisher: NOLO
Category: Book
List Price: $34.99
Buy Used: $9.99
as of 9/8/2010 03:23 CDT details
You Save: $25.00 (71%)
Seller: Dawning of New Age
Rating:  reviews
Media: Paperback
Edition: 15
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 1413310915
Dewey Decimal Number: 346.730168
EAN: 9781413310917
ASIN: 1413310915
Publication Date: April 4, 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | ISBN13: 9781413310917 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Protect your rights -- protect your relationship!
Now more than ever, it's important that you take the proper legal steps to define and protect your relationship in the eyes of the law. If you don't, you run the risk of being shut out of 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 each other's finances when one partner is incapacitated
leave property to each other
have and raise children through adoption, donor insemination, surrogacy or foster parenting
The 15th edition is updated with a discussion of the laws of each state offering either marriage or marriage-equivalent status, covers all the new state laws in recent months, and discusses the pros and cons of entering into a marriage or like relationship. It also includes a CD-ROM that helps living-together contracts, powers of attorney, wills and more. (20080309)
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| Customer Reviews:
 Thorough and Accurate July 15, 2010
K. Johnson (Twin Cities, MN)
This is a pretty good book and is a good resource for unmarried couples of all kinds. My partner and I recently had some of the documents in this book created, so I had something to compare to. By reading it, I actually learned things I hadn't learned the first time around.
I didn't give it 5 stars because there is a bit of fluff in some sections. For example "how we define our families." I didn't think this was necessary. However, most of the book was very useful and will continue to be in the future.
Long term Gay & Lesbian Couples Handbook June 24, 2010
Kevin (Los Angeles, CA)
A great primer for gay couples who must overcome immense obstacles to providing for one another and establishing what heterosexual couples (both married and not) take for granted!
A Practical guide for same-sex couples June 24, 2010
Hank Drake (Cleveland, OH United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In September 2009, I reviewed Making it Legal: A Guide to Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnership & Civil Unions. While that book contains useful legal information, it spent a bit too much space going into the history of legal issues for LGBT people, rather than a practical "how-to" approach which most readers would want.
Nolo's Legal Guide for Gay & Lesbian Couples (here in its 15th edition) is more useful in that respect. In addition to being more up to date, the book gives more details on varying legal statuses with regard to "civil unions/domestic partnerships" vs. marriages, and in general is a more practical guide.
Best of all, this book comes with a CD-Rom with ready-made forms for everything from partnership contracts, to Power of Attorney forms, to Wills.
As with Making it Legal, this Nolo guide is likely to be out of date soon due to rapidly changing marriage laws - at which point another edition will be necessary. Nevertheless, this book is a must for any same-sex couple. It will save many times its price in lawyer fees, and may help prevent a heartbreaking situation.
For family and marriage equality with a focus of civil rights for all, not some. June 24, 2010
M
I applaud NOLO for clearly being dedicated to providing information protecting the civil rights of all Americans. Realizing that this is the 15th edition of this text is proof enough. I trust that all the legal and professional contributors to this resource hope there will be no need for such a specific subject in the near future. When all tax paying Americans are treated equal, we can all read the same resource materials. But, here we are, in 2010, and some people in this country still believe they have the right to prevent two consenting adults from being in love, celebrating their love, and living in love. Well, they do not.
Marriage is only one violation of civil rights when it is prevented merely based on religious beliefs. The separation of church and state is in a great state of ignorance. I am a man, and can walk up to a female stranger on the street, and ask her to marry me. We can then go sign a legal contract, and voila, we are married. Instantly obtain the benefits of being a legally married couple with tax deductions and rights denied to fellow tax payers. No chicken dance or church required. Religion is a CHOICE. So is the chicken dance.
This guide contains a plethora of info addressing the obstacles of living as an equal American, just because you are gay. Unbelievable amount of detail on areas a gay American may have been struggling with and some may have not been known until now.
With subjects such as adoption and parenting, the obstacles are endless, but can be overcome with the right guidance. This book provides a start to great direction, and worth the price for this section alone. But we go beyond with tips on buying a house, insurance, medical issues, financial investments, and everything any other couple takes for granted. Just because the couple is the same sex, they have to refer to this very helpful guide. And that is just sad and embarrassing that we are making fellow Americans jump through hoops just to obtain equality.
Keep in mind that the laws and limitations are being changed and adjusted so much that some of the information may need to be confirmed for your state. A convenient CD is included which is full of forms that can be edited and adjusted to anyone's needs, and not just same sex couples. This book was first created 30 years ago, with 15 versions to follow. I suspect this to be a minimum of an annual edition at this point. I highly suggest keeping up to date with NOLA and get notice to pre-order each future release.
The more people that stand up for civil rights and marriage equality, the more awareness the issues will receive. It is happening in many ways. Currently the movie "8: The Mormon Proposition" is getting rave reviews for bringing to light the fact that the Mormon church is responsible for illegally passing the vote against marriage equality in California. And other supportive ways, such as singers and actors standing up or coming out. There is a new song called My Reclamation by Sam Harris, that is worthy of the download. Supporting the fight for equality. Just a couple ways that media will be fueling change needed for all Americans. NOLA will have their hands full keeping up with the near future, so please do yourself a favor, no matter who you love, and become informed.
A Superb Resource For Couples (and Everyone) June 17, 2010
Coltbear - A Music Fan (NY/NJ Metro Area)
This outstanding legal guide should be required reading for everyone. Beginning with "Defining Family: Basics of Marriage, Domestic Partnership and More" (including historic milestones and information on a state-by-state basis), it is clear, precise, and above all, incredibly thorough, with solutions and sample contractual forms for virtually all aspects of entering into a relationship (and ending one), and any existing situations and unforeseen situations you might encounter while in one as well. It explains the differences between civil unions and domestic partnerships, explains the effect that DOMA has on them, the difference between state and federal recognition of your relationship status, informs you of your interstate rights as a couple and so much more information that everyone should know - regardless of your relationship status.
As Nolo editors have pointed out for 30 years in every edition (this is now the 15th Edition of this guide), they stress the absolute importance of having ANY agreement or legal contract IN WRITING. As the guide states, "If you do not reach an understanding and write a contract, there is a good chance that an unsympathetic judge will end up writing one for you." They state, "In every edition for 30 years, an entire chapter has been devoted to the details of discussing and drafting these contracts - and even though the marriage contract, or something similar, is available in some states these days, written contracts are no less important now than they were in 1980."
I believe that is the heart of this superb guide, and why it is replete with sample contracts (including a CD-ROM with updated forms to help couples create living-together contracts, powers of attorney and more.) Of special importance containing a wealth of information are the "Tips," "Special Issues," "Resources," "When To See An Expert," and perhaps most important, "Cautions" at the end of each chapter.
Kudos and major props to attorneys Denis Clifford, Frederick Hertz and Emily Doskow for creating one of the most helpful and comprehensive guides regarding many of the most important issues that virtually every gay couple seeking to legalize their relationship will encounter in their lives. And kudos to Nolo for their free legal updates, which you can easily find out about in the preface. And, as Ralph Warner, Nolo's Publisher and Cofounder states, "I'm very proud of the Legal Guide, but I look forward to the day when in all 50 states same-sex couples enjoy exactly the same rights as heterosexual couples, and we can finally begin to shrink this fat book." This progressive, essential guide is one step towards helping accomplish that goal, and until that vision becomes a reality, should be required reading for everyone.
Outstanding on all counts, and I would give this 10 stars if I could.
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