Guest Author - Bonnie Sayers

Employers are keeping with non-discrimination policies and are extending the same benefits that spouses receive to those employees who are involved in same-sex domestic partnerships.

These benefits can range from health insurance, dental care, vision and life insurance. The first step is to register with your county and then approach your Employer to find out what Insurance Benefits are available to your Domestic Partner.

The legal requirements are that the person be at least eighteen years of age and mentally competent. Domestic partners register through their city or county. You can search the database for your State and find the registry.

Different employers, whether it be public or private have varying rules of what constitutes a Domestic Partner. There may be a requirement of how long they have lived together, neither can be legally married or related to one another and financial data showing joint financial responsibility. This could be a joint checking account, house or apartment in both names, as well as with utility companies.

A domestic partner can also be defined as a tax dependent if you provide over half of the support of said person for a year, they are a member of your household and have been for a year. This is under Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code.

You can search for companies with non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation.

Colleges offer domestic partner benefits to those students who have insurance through their campus. Sample Workplace policies.

Domestic Partnership, ACLU

University of California Policy Options

Syracuse University Benefits Programs

University of Rochester, NY Application for Domestic Partnership Health Insurance Benefits

California Domestic Partner Resources

Domestic partner State Map for Government Employees

Salary.com Glossary