Big News for Domestic Partners
In an article sponsored in USA Today, we have come to find out that all domestic partnerships will be converted to marriage licenses by June 30th in all of Washington State! This change, passed in November of 2012, will allow for couples to get, “Social Security survivor benefits, the ability to file a federal tax return as a married couple and eligibility for Family and Medical Leave Act time to care for a sick spouse” (Langeler, 2014).
This is great news and a change that we here at PlanningSavvy are proud to be apart of. Six states, in addition to Washington, have rights for domestic partnerships that allow for some benefits, yet are not quite to the level at which our evergreen state does. “No other state so far has converted registered domestic partnerships into federally recognized marriages automatically” (Langeler, 2014).
Again congratulations to all of our LGBT community, finally what everyone has worked so hard for has come to fruition. We can all applaud to the changes our wonderful state has been making to enhance greater equality in the Pacific North West.
Sources
Langeler, John. “Wash. domestic partners automatically getting hitched.” USA Today. Gannett, 9 May 2014. Web. 9 May 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/09/washington-domestic-partnerships/8893811/>.