Living together out of wedlock can mean anything, especially in court -- unlike married couples, most unmarried couples don't automatically inherit or receive protection under the law. Consequently, you must document everything from property ownership and children to wills and other estate plans.
An essential resource for any unmarried couple, Living Together explains:
*the legality of living together *having and raising children *the many types of ownership agreements *relationships with a prior family *getting authorization to make medical decisions for an ill or injured partner
Living Together includes:
*a complete overview of important legal documents, including a living together contract *instructions to filling out these documents *sample forms *legal agreements as tear-outs and on CD-ROM
The 13th edition provides the latest law in readable 50-state charts, and includes many fill-in-the-blank legal forms. It also discusses the laws covering same-sex marriages and civil unions, which are often so broad, they affect unmarried heterosexual couples as well.
About the Author
Ralph "Jake" Warner retired from day-to-day management of Nolo in 2004, after 32 years as president of the company. Widely regarded as a pioneer of the self-help law movement, Warner founded Nolo with Ed Sherman in 1972. He began publishing do-it-yourself law books written by him and his colleagues after numerous publishers rejected them. When personal computers came along, he added software to many Nolo books. When the Internet arrived, he pioneered online marketing of books. In addition to running the company, Warner was an active editor and author. He wrote many books, including Get a Life: You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well and How to Run a Thriving Business. In guiding Nolo, perhaps the greatest challenge Warner faced was an attack by the Texas legal establishment in 1998. Texas lawyers tried to brand Nolo as practicing law without a license. The ensuing battle galvanized Nolo, whose final victory has become part of Nolo legend.
Toni Ihara is an anthropologist turned lawyer turned graphic artist. Toni is an original member of the Nolo family and has been involved in the modern people's law movement since its inception in the early 1970s. Co-author of The Living Together Kit and 29 Reasons Not to Go to Law School, her articles have appeared in New West, Ms. and Harper's Bazaar.
Frederick Hertz is a practicing attorney and the author of Legal Affairs: Essential Advice for Same-Sex Couples (Owl Books) and co-author of Nolo's The Living Together Kit and A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
