AUDIENCE: The 7.5 million unmarried couples living together, especially those who own property together and/or have children together (40% of unmarried couples have kids). Primarily focused on heterosexual couples (Nolo's Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples does the same things for same-sex couples). The growing number of elderly unmarried couples who are concerned about Social Security, estate planning, and inheritance issues. Couples who want to protect each other from discriminatory laws through planning and writing legal contracts. REASONS TO BUY THIS NEW EDITION: There is no other book available that covers such a wide range of legal and practical topics affecting unmarried couples--from custody and paternity, to home ownership, estate planning, and property settlement after a break up. No other book includes dozens of simple legal documents that unmarried couples can use to spell out their individual legal and financial arrangements--such as living together contracts that cover how a couple is sharing (or not) money, assets, and property, such as a house. The audience is huge and increasing, particularly as more couples move in together for economic reasons.

The book is completely updated for 2019, with the latest laws affecting unmarried people in a wide variety of areas--including domestic partnership and civil union programs, family law, debt and credit, real estate, taxes, medical care, insurance, estate planning, and more. All forms are also updated.