Protect yourself and your loved one with sound legal planning Laws affecting LGBT couples have changed dramatically in the last decade--today, same-sex couples can get married in any state in the U.S. However, for those couples who choose not to get married, it's essential to 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 the children you co-parent--in times of medical, financial or personal crisis. Fortunately, this practical guide is updated with the latest legal information to help you and your same-sex partner protect and exercise your rights and make sound decisions as a couple. A Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples covers: making practical decisions about living together planning for medical emergencies--making medical decisions for one another and taking care of each other's finances when one partner is incapacitated domestic partner benefits and how to obtain them buying property together providing for each other upon death, and practical and legal aspects of having and raising children.