"Civil unions" is a legal term that refers to a formal relationship between two people who are not married but want to have some of the rights and benefits associated with marriage. It provides a way for couples to have legal recognition and protection, often including benefits like inheritance rights, health care coverage, and tax benefits.
Full definition
By comparison, couples who live in states where their relationships are recognized
as civil unions or domestic partnerships — but not marriage — are not afforded that benefit.
Governments should
recognize civil unions for all and let religious or philosophical beliefs about choosing a mate remain outside of government.
Consider resolving your family law,
civil union dissolution, and related disputes through the process of mediation.
You can buy for yourself, your legal spouse, domestic partner, or
civil union partner as well as your unmarried dependent children over 14 days old & under 19 years.
I'm not sure if everywhere was allowed to back - date if it was a state that first
allowed civil unions, but it was definitely a nice little touch!
Second, from a legislative perspective, a jurisdiction could offer intended partners a choice
between civil unions and marriage.
While some of these couples eventually marry, or enter
into civil unions in other states, some do not.
The 2010 federal census estimated there are already more than 150,000 same - sex couples legally married or in
legal civil unions.
There are a number of other countries which have stopped short of allowing gay marriage but have
introduced civil unions or registered partnerships for same - sex couples.
At the time, he was the last remaining statewide elected official who had supported
civil unions over marriage for gay couples.
At the time, he was the last remaining statewide Democratic elected official who was still only
backing civil unions.
The reform grants couples now limited to
civil unions full marital rights, and allows them to adopt children.
But above all (to formulate the problem more clearly and proactively): Is there any concrete way to accommodate divorced persons who have entered a
new civil union?
Do you also avoid the 32 states, not to mention the states that
permit civil unions rather than gay marriage, that define marriage as that between a man and a woman?
I want to express my wish that technical solutions be found that would protect partners in
civil unions at the same level as married spouses in the case of death or separation.
As currently believed, that protection does NOT extend to state registered domestic partners,
civil unions etc..
Other countries have enacted
civil union statutes that incorporate some or all of the laws relating to «marriage» under a different name.
The president is personally still «grappling» with his position on gay marriage, (he
supports civil unions), according to his spokesman.
In 2009, I believed that
civil unions for same sex couples would be a satisfactory conclusion.
Even if certain provisions given automatically to the married are not given automatically to those
in civil unions, they are nevertheless possible.
What we often neglect to say: Marriage, or for that
matter civil union, can not create rights and obligations unless it is legally contracted.
Harper now says he would accept the concept of same -
sex civil unions under provincial laws but opposes requiring churches to confirm same - sex marriages.
[182] He also called for creation of an ombudsman (public advocate) to ensure compliance with the state's existing
civil union law.
... «I'm in favor of gay rights and in any case, I also
favor civil unions for homosexuals, but I believe that Argentina is not yet ready for a gay marriage law,»» said Marquez, a gay rights activist, a self - described devout Catholic and a former theology professor at a Catholic seminary.
Late last month Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley issued a memo which stated that chaplains may officiate the marriage and
civil union ceremonies of gay couples in states where it's legal, including those taking place on military installations.
For over 24 years, she has represented men and women in divorce, mediation, custody, adoption (including agency, private placement, domestic, re-finalization of foreign adoptions and contested placements), domestic violence, pre-marital agreements,
civil union agreements and other family law related matters.
Bruno, who now supports same - sex marriage after years of opposing
even civil unions, called McDonald's vote in favor of the 2011 law «principled.»
Watch: Illinois Senator Rips Adulterous Hypocrites Voting «No»
on Civil Union Bill — «We Know What You Do At Night!»
Call us hard to impress, but when this category sees its first
dissolved civil union faceoff, maybe then we'll consider printing off the gift registry at CB2.
Until last May (for some) or last week (for others) many of our best and brightest had missed what they now say is an important and morally obvious point: Of course the freedom to
form civil unions will never be enough; only «marriage equality» will do.
At the time of the inception of these benefits, IIRC, no state offered same sex marriage or any kind of
civil union statuses.
«At one time I
thought civil unions afforded the opportunity to provide the ability for same sex couples to attain the status they wanted,» says Saland, who voted against same - sex marriage when a similar bill was defeated in 2009.