Legal joinings and recognition of same-sex couples

UNITED STATES

UNITED STATES*

CALIFORNIA*

MASSACHUSETTS

CONNECTICUT

COLORADO

DELAWARE

LAW
(federal)

Civil Marriage/Domestic
Partnership Registration

Civil Marriage

Civil Union (limited)/Domestic Partnership

(same-sex couples)

Domestic Partnership

EFFECTIVE DATE
9-21-96
(letter '97 update '04)

5-15-08/1-1-02

5-17-04

10-1-05/2-02

5-15-07

?

ADOPTION
NO

YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

YES

NO

INHERITANCE
NO

YES/YES

YES

YES/NO

NO

NO

IMMIGRATION
NO

NO/NO

NO

NO/NO

NO

NO

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
NO

YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

NO

(bereavement leave)

Gov. Pension
NO

YES/NO*

YES

YES/YES

NO

NO

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
NO

YES/YES

YES

YES/(health benefits)

NO

NO

* Unites States - Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

* California - Death Benefits for Domestic Partners in Some Counties

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

HAWAI’I

MAINE

MINNESOTA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

LAW
Domestic Partnership

Reciprocal
Beneficiary Status

Domestic Partnership

Domestic Partnership

Civil Union

Civil Union (differences) [court decision]/Domestic Partnership

Domestic Partnership/Civil Marriage (conducted outside the state only)

EFFECTIVE DATE
2002

7-9-97

4-28-04

?

5-30-07

180 days from 10-25-06/1-12-04

?/2-1-08

ADOPTION
NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES/YES

NO/YES

INHERITANCE
NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES/(only eliminates state tax)

NO/YES

IMMIGRATION
NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO/NO

NO/NO

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES

NO

(sick/bereavement leave)

YES

YES/YES

NO/YES

Gov. Pension
NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

YES/NO

NO/YES

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

YES

(health benefits)

YES

YES

YES/YES

(health benefits)/YES

OREGON

VERMONT

WASHINGTON

LAW
Domestic Partnership

Civil Union

Domestic Partnership

EFFECTIVE DATE
5-9-07

6-1-00

4-21-07

ADOPTION
YES

YES

NO

INHERITANCE
YES

YES

YES

IMMIGRATION
NO

NO

NO

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES

YES

Gov. Pension
YES

YES

NO

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

YES

YES

CANADA

CANADA

CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA/ ONTARIO/YUKON

CANADA

MANITOBA

CANADA

NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR

CANADA

NOVA SCOTIA

CANADA

QUEBEC

LAW
Civil Marriage

Civil Marriage

Civil Marriage/Registered Domestic Partnership

Civil Marriage/Domestic Partners

Civil Marriage/Registered Domestic Partnership

Civil Marriage/Civil Union

EFFECTIVE DATE
7-20-05

7-8-03/6-10-03/7-14-04

9-04/8-9-01

12-21-04/4-11-02

9-24-04/6-1-01

3-04/2-8-02

ADOPTION
YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

INHERITANCE
YES

YES

YES
YES
YES

YES

IMMIGRATION
YES

YES

YES
YES
YES

YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES

YES
YES
YES

YES

Gov. Pension
YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

YES

YES
YES
YES

YES

CANADA

ALBERTA

CANADA

NEW BRUNSWICK

CANADA

NORTHWEST TERRITORY

CANADA

NOVA SCOTIA

CANADA

NUNAVUT

CANADA

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

CANADA

SASKATCHEWAN

LAW
Adult Interdependent Partners

Unregistered Cohabitation

Unregistered Cohabitation

Registered Domestic Partnership

Recognizes Civil Marriage conducted outside province

Common Law Relationship

Domestic Relations

EFFECTIVE DATE
6-1-03

2000

1997

6-1-01
2004
12-10-02

7-6-01

ADOPTION
YES

NO

YES

YES
YES
NO

YES

INHERITANCE
YES

?

?

YES
YES
YES

YES

IMMIGRATION
YES

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES

YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

?

?

YES
YES
YES

YES

Gov. Pension
YES

?

?

YES
YES
YES

YES

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

?

?

YES
YES
YES

YES

OTHER COUNTRIES

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

KINGDOM of the NETHERLANDS semi-autonomous islands
ARUBA/ CURACAO/ BONAIRE/ SABA/SAINT MARTIN

NORWAY

SOUTH AFRICA

LAW
Civil Marriage/Registered Cohabitation

Civil Marriage/Registered Partnership/Unregistered Cohabitation

Civil Marriage
(registered outside these jurisdictions recognized)

Civil Marriage/Registered Partnership

Civil Marriage or Civil Partnership via Civil Union/Dependent Partner

EFFECTIVE DATE
1-03-03/11-23-98

4-1-01/1998/1979

4-13-07

6-11-08/4-30-93

11-30-06/1999

ADOPTION
YES*/NO

YES*/YES/NO

YES

YES/YES
YES/?

INHERITANCE
YES/YES

YES/YES/YES

YES

YES/YES
YES/YES

IMMIGRATION
YES/YES

YES/YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

YES/YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES/YES

YES/YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

YES/?

Gov. Pension
YES/YES

YES/YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

YES/?

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES/YES

YES/YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

YES/(Medicinal aid)

* Belgium and The Netherlands have created separate rights for same-sex couples that do not exactly match those of opposite-sex couples in civil marriage. There is an effort to make the law as liberal as Spain's and Canada's.

SPAIN

SPAIN ARAGON/CATALONIA/

NAVARRA/VALENCIA

SPAIN

ANDALUCIA, EXTREMADURA/ASTURIAS, BALEARIC ISLANDS/ MADRID

SPAIN

PAIS VASCO (BASQUE COUNTRY)

SPAIN

CANARY ISLANDS/CANTABRIA

LAW
Civil Marriage**/Unregistered Cohabitation

Registered Partnership

de facto couples/stable couples/de factor unions

Unregistered Cohabitation

Unregistered Cohabitation

EFFECTIVE DATE
6-30-05

3-12-99/6-30-98/

6-1-00/3-1-01

12-5-02, 3-26-03/4-02, 12-19-01/12-28-01
2003 2003/2005

ADOPTION
YES

NO/YES/YES/YES
YES
YES

?

INHERITANCE
YES

YES
? ? ?

IMMIGRATION
YES

NO

NO
? ?

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES
? ? ?

Gov. Pension
YES

YES
? ? ?

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

YES
? ? ?

** Spain only added the following to their civil marriage law: "Marriage will have the same requirements and results when the two people entering into the contract are of the same sex or of different sexes.

ANDORRA

ARGENTINA RIO NEGRO Province

ARGENTINA BUENOS AIRES City

AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES

AUSTRALIA TASMANIA

AUSTRALIA QUEENSLAND

AUSTRALIA VICTORIA

LAW
Registered Cohabitation

Registered Partnership

Civil Union Register

Domestic Partners

Registered Partnerships

Domestic Partners

Domestic Partners

EFFECTIVE DATE
2-22-05

12-02

12-02

6-99

1-1-04

1999

6-01

ADOPTION
YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

?

?

INHERITANCE
YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

?

YES

IMMIGRATION
YES

NO

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Gov. Pension
YES

?

?

?

YES

?

YES

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

?

YES

AUSTRALIA WESTERN AUSTRALIA

AUSTRIA

BRAZIL

BRAZIL
State of RIO GRANDE do SUL

BRAZIL
State of RIO de JANEIRO

CHILE

CROATIA

CZECH

DENMARK

FINLAND

LAW
Domestic Partners

Unregistered Cohabitation

Stable Unions (unregistered cohabitation)

Civil Union

Domestic Partners

[NAME]?(limited rights)

Unregistered Cohabitation

Registered Partnership

Registered Partnership

Registered Partnership

EFFECTIVE DATE
9-02

7-24-03

2000 (many rights since 1998 via court)

03/04

?

?

7-14-03

3-16-06

6-7-89

3-1-02

ADOPTION
?

?

YES

YES

NO

?

?

NO

YES*

NO

INHERITANCE
YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

?

YES

YES

YES

YES

IMMIGRATION
YES

?

YES

NO

NO

?

?

YES

YES

YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

?

?

YES

NO

?

YES

YES

YES

YES

Gov. Pension
?

?

YES

YES

YES

?

YES

NO

YES

YES

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

?

?

YES

NO

?

YES

YES

YES

YES

* Adoption limited to partner's children only.

FRANCE

GERMANY

GREENLAND

DEPENDENCY of Denmark

HUNGARY

ICELAND

ISRAEL

ITALY
PADUA
LUXEMBOURG
MEXICO
MEXICO City

LAW
Registered Partnership (English or French)/ Unregistered Cohabitation

Registered Life Partnership(alt. German or French)

Registered Partner

Unregistered Cohabitation/Registered Partnership

Registered Partnership

Unregistered Cohabitation/Civil Marriage (conducted outside the country only)

Registered Partnership

Registered Partnership

Civil Union

EFFECTIVE DATE
11-15-99/?

2-16-01

1994

5-96/1-1-09

6-27-96

1994/11-21-06

12-06

7-9-04

11/16/06

ADOPTION
NO/?

YES*

YES

NO/NO

YES*

YES/YES

?
NO
YES

INHERITANCE
YES/?

YES

YES

NO/YES

YES

YES/YES

?
YES
YES

IMMIGRATION
YES/YES

YES

YES

YES/NO

YES

YES/YES

NO
NO
?

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES/?

YES

YES

YES/YES

YES

?/YES

YES
YES
YES

Gov. Pension
YES/?

YES

YES

YES/YES

YES

YES/YES

?
YES
YES

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES/?**

YES

YES

YES/YES

YES

?/YES

YES
YES
YES

* Adoption limited to partner's children only.

** Health insurance

MEXICO
State of COAHUILA

NEW ZEALAND

PORTUGAL

SCOTLAND

SLOVENIA

SWEDEN

LAW
Civil Union

Civil Union/Unregistered Cohabitation

Unregistered Partner

Unregistered Cohabitation

Registered Partnership

Registered Partnership/Unregistered Cohabitation

EFFECTIVE DATE
1/11/07

4-26-05/3-01

3-15-01

2000

6-22-05

6-23-94/1988

ADOPTION
YES

?

NO

YES

NO

YES/?

INHERITANCE
YES

YES

YES

?

YES(partly)

YES/YES

IMMIGRATION
?

YES

NO

?

NO

YES/YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES

YES

YES

?

YES/?

Gov. Pension
YES

YES

YES

?

YES(7/23/06)

YES/?

MEDICAL
DECISIONS
YES

YES

YES

YES

?

YES/?

SWITZERLAND

SWITZERLAND

GENEVA canton

SWITZERLAND

NEUCHATEL canton

SWITZERLAND

ZURICH canton

UNITED KINGDOM
(England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland)

URUGUAY

LAW
Registered Partnership(French or German)

Pact of Solidarity

[NAME]?

Registered Cohabitation

Registered Partnership/Unregistered Cohabitation

Civil Union (after living together for 5 years)

EFFECTIVE DATE
passed in 6-10-04
forced referendum on June 5, 2005

2-15-01

7-04

1-21-02
11-04/? ?

ADOPTION
NO

NO

?

NO

YES/?

YES

INHERITANCE
YES

YES

?

YES
YES/YES YES

IMMIGRATION
YES

YES

?

YES

YES/YES

YES

HOSPITAL
VISITATION
YES

YES

?

YES