
By JR Thorpe June 3 If you've ever heard the term "domestic partner " thrown around, you may have filed it away in your head as something similar to "civil union," or possibly "common law spouse": The reality is that domestic partnership is a bit of a headache to understand; it's not marriage, but the precise ways in which it's not marriage are slippery and differ from place to place. In the United States, many people believe that domestic partnerships somehow overlap with civil unions, but in reality, it's actually its own distinct legal category with its very own issues. Get ready for things to get somewhat clearer. Even though same-sex marriage is now legal in the United States hurrah! The concept was first introduced as a method of affirming commitment between same-sex couples who were denied the right to marry, but it may still be an option for people who don't want to get hitched for whatever reason. So don't automatically ask anybody with a domestic partner why they don't "just get married.Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships same-sex spouses have the same rights and benefits as legally married opposite-sex couples. NOLO's definition is a pretty workable one: "Domestic partners are unmarried couples, of the same or opposite sex, who live together and seek. Luxembourg · Malta · Mexico1. Netherlands2. New Zealand3. Norway · Portugal · South Africa . indicate that their organizations offered some form of domestic partner benefits (opposite-sex partners, same-sex partners or both). The San...the end of the story look at the video above ↑ ↑ ↑