thetrendingreSurgenceofdomeSticPartnerShiPS
Marital & Family law Section Chair : RachaelL . Rudin – FamilyFirstLawGroup , PLC domesticpartnershipsare notcurrentlyrecognized bythefederalgovernment ortheStateofflorida ; theyareonlyrecognizedat thelocalmunicipallevel .
After Florida began
issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2015 , the continued legal significance of domestic partnerships appeared unclear . Recently , domestic partnerships have had a resurgence of interest among unmarried partners in Hillsborough County . 1
One reason for the trend : the COVID-19 pandemic , which has raised legal concerns for unmarried couples who are not afforded the same rights as married spouses in the event of a health care crisis . Several jurisdictions in Florida , including Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa , have local laws , creating a “ domestic partnership registry ” 2 for unmarried couples to be designated as a “ domestic partnership .” The designation grants partners certain legal rights to make important medical and health care decisions for their partners within the jurisdiction of the registry . continuedonpage51
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