{"id":377086,"date":"2018-12-13T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T16:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/washington-law\/washington-domestic-partnership-laws0.html"},"modified":"2018-12-13T14:13:09","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T19:13:09","slug":"washington-domestic-partnership-laws0","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/washington-law\/washington-domestic-partnership-laws0.html","title":{"rendered":"Washington Domestic Partnership Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Washington Domestic Partnership Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Prior to the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted same-sex marriage rights<\/a> in all states, a domestic partnership (a legalized union for unmarried cohabitating couples) was often used to provide benefits to same-sex couples that weren’t available to them because marriage wasn’t an option. For instance, King County resident employees’ benefits were extended to their domestic partners<\/a> when same-sex marriage was prohibited in Washington. However, many state domestic partnership laws evolved after the legality of same-sex marriage.<\/p>\r\n

Washington Domestic Partnership Laws at a Glance<\/h2>\r\n

When conducting legal research, it’s critical to read and understand the relevant statutes. However, statutes can take a long time to decipher since they’re often written in complicated legalese. Reading content that is jargon-free and written in plain language often helps to better understand the law. The chart below does just that as it provides a summarized overview of Washington’s domestic partnership laws.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Statutes<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Washington Revised Code:<\/p>\r\n

Requirements<\/b><\/p>\r\n

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To establish a domestic partnership, both individuals must satisfy the following requirements:<\/p>\r\n

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  • They share a common residence;<\/li>\r\n
  • They are at least 18 years old and at least one of the individuals is 62 years of old or older;<\/li>\r\n
  • Neither is married to someone other than the party to the domestic partnership and neither is in a state registered domestic partnership with another person;<\/li>\r\n
  • Both are capable of consenting to the domestic partnership with another person;<\/li>\r\n
  • The individuals aren’t nearer of kin to each other than second cousins; and<\/li>\r\n
  • Neither is a sibling, child, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew to the other person.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Reciprocity<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

If a couple is in a legal union (other than marriage) that was validly formed in another jurisdiction that is substantially equivalent to the Washington State domestic partnership definition, then the union is recognized in Washington even if it isn’t referred to as a "domestic partnership."<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Dissolution of Domestic Partnership; Merger to Marriage<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Partners in a state-registered<\/a> (not city or county) domestic partnerships may apply for and receive a marriage license and have the partnership converted to marriage. This is valid if the following conditions exist:<\/p>\r\n