Right now, unmarried couples have no legal recognition for their relationships under NM law.  This creates many hardships for gay, lesbian, and heterosexual unmarried couples and families.  No matter how much money unmarried couples spend on legal agreements like wills and powers of attorney to protect each other and their children, they cannot duplicate many of the rights and protections that NM offers to couples who can marry.  Domestic Partnership is not marriage, but it goes a long way to protect children and families from unnecessary hardship.

The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act creates a system of Domestic Partnerships for any two unmarried adults, gay or not gay.  This could include senior citizens or disabled people who cannot get married to each other because one or the other would lose their social security or other benefits. 

Domestic Partnership will confer all of the NM state (no federal) rights, benefits, protections, responsibilities and obligations of New Mexico civil marriage in the areas of...

• Death & Inheritance
• Insurance benefits
• Health care decision-making
• Family Relationship
• Dissolution of a Domestic Partnership