Domestic Partnerships

New York City and Suffolk County couples who are not married—of the same or opposite sex—may opt to establish a legal domestic partnership to protect their rights and reinforce their commitment to each other. The Long Island and New York City Domestic partnership attorneys at Barrocas, Mintz, Misuraca, and Record understand the New York State requirements and can expedite your legal quest for recognition of or dissolution of your relationship.  

An official domestic partnership provides security and peace of mind for each party; it also provides legal rights to each partner, similar to that of married couples. The same confidence is extended to partners who may be in the midst of difficulties and who seek termination of their existing relationship. 

Domestic Partnership in New York

The New York State provides rules that apply to forming domestic partnership:

• You and your partner must be residents of New York City. If one or both of you are not residents of New York City, one of you must be employed by the City of New York.
• You and your partner must be over 18-years-old.
• Neither you nor your partner can be legally married or in another domestic partnership when applying for a certificate.
• You and your partner should be in a committed relationship and live together. You must each have the same residential address on the application for domestic partnership.

Couples seeking to dissolve domestic partnerships have many unique legal issues to consider when they separate, including:

• Dividing assets such that it avoids adverse tax consequences to the parties
• Establishing and protecting parent-child relationships
• The division of retirement assets
• Creating support arrangements that account for the disparate treatment of same sex couples by the Internal Revenue Service.

At Barrocas, Mintz, Misuraca, and Record: Family Law & Mediation, our attorneys have substantial experience working with clients who seek to dissolve domestic partnerships.