Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples

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 14th 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.

The CD-ROM that accompanies the printed version of this book includes forms or other tools; in this eBook, you'll find all those documents in the appendix or at the back of the book.