Now more than ever, it's important that you take the proper legal steps to define and protect your relationship in the eyes of the law. If you don't, you run the risk of being shut out of each other's lives -- and the lives of children you co-parent -- in times of medical, financial or personal crisis. 

This practical, plain-English guide shows lesbian and gay couples how to:

• make practical decisions about living together
• obtain domestic partner benefits
• make medical decisions for each other when needed
• take care of each other's finances when one partner is incapacitated
• leave property to each other
• have and raise children through adoption, donor insemination, surrogacy or foster parenting

The 14th edition is updated to provide the latest information on same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships in the U.S., Canada and around the world. It also includes a CD-ROM that helps you create essential legal documents.