Although they were not married, parties, who had been in a relationship for 12 years, formed a domestic partnership and intended to share in the fruits of their relationship as though married, thereby justifying an equal division of their property; parties made many joint financial decisions, they jointly leased an apartment, they jointly purchased a vehicle and obtained insurance for it, even reporting their marital status as “M” on the paperwork, the couple held themselves out as married on several occasions, their friends thought they were married, they referred to each other as husband and wife in public, they signed a health insurance domestic partnership affidavit to obtain coverage, and fact that they did not have a joint bank account did not defeat the couple’s intertwined financial decision-making.
Laura Morgan is a Family Law Consultant. Laura is available for consultation, brief writing and research on family law issues throughout the country. She can be reached through her website. www.famlawconsult.com
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