Domestic Partnership Divorce Lawyer

Legal Issues Regarding Domestic Partnerships

In Iowa a domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two people who live together and share a common domestic life but are not legally married in the traditional sense.  There are completely different family laws concerning a domestic partnership and a marriage or civil union.  The legal terminology for such partnerships is still evolving, and the exact level of rights and responsibilities granted by a domestic partnership varies widely from place to place.  For this reason, it is highly advised to consult a professional domestic partnership family law attorney.  The divorce attorneys at McGuire Law Firm have the experience to represent you for any of your domestic partnership issues.  We offer our services throughout Iowa, including Mason City, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Cedar Rapids.

Currently domestic partnerships are used both by same sex couples as well as traditional couples who are not married.  As the rights conferred by marriage do not apply to unmarried couples, it is wise to have a domestic partnership agreement worked out with your partner in order to protect your assets as well as any children of this union.  Some domestic partners may enter into domestic partnership agreements in order to agree contractually to issues involving property ownership, support obligations, and similar issues common to marriage.  Also if a separation were to occur, then various issues can arise over child support or custody.  Having this agreement in place will go far towards peace of mind for both parties in the union.

Serving Des Moines, Mason City, Cedar Rapids, and Surrounding Areas

There can be many purposes of a domestic partnership.  One of the main purposes of a domestic partnership relation is to ensure that any contribution made during the union to the other partner is protected.  This can include rights to a retirement account after the death of a partner, assets owned by one of the partners and contributed to by the other during the course of the union, and rights to custody of a child after a death or separation from a partner if both helped to support and raise the child throughout the union.   A domestic partnerships lawyer can explain what options are available to you. Our firm has been helping clients with their family law issues for over 40 years and are available for a free initial and completely confidential consultation.