ASK THE EXPERTS ABOUT
Life Planning


Q Domestic partnerships
  Jul 31, 2008

Should my partner and I register as domestic partners with the City of New York?


A Response from Mr. Sciacca

If you and your partner live within the City of New York (or, if you live elsewhere but at least one of you is employed by the City of New York), you are eligible to register as domestic partners provided that you are (1) in a committed personal relationship, (2) living together, (3) both over eighteen years of age, (4) not married to anyone else, or in a domestic partnership with anyone else, and (5) not related by blood.

There are many good reasons to register as domestic partners. For couples in our community, domestic partnership registry provides just about the only government-issued document legitimizing our relationships. Some couples have declined to register for political reasons. However, domestic partnership registry provides several tangible benefits. Keeping in mind that this is a general overview and certain rules apply, a short list of the benefits include:

Priority visitation over blood relatives in hospitals and health care facilities;

Extension of medical and other employer-provided benefits from many employers;

Rights for the surviving partner to succeed to a rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartment, even if the survivor's name is not on the lease;

Right to arrange for the disposition of a deceased partner's remains (i.e., burial vs. cremation, organ and tissue donation, type of services held, burial site or distribution of ashes, etc.) over all blood relatives.

To register as domestic partners, you and your partner should show up at the City Clerk's offices for the borough in which you live with photo identification and either a valid credit card or a money order for $36.00. The addresses of the offices for the various boroughs:

BRONX: 851 Grand Concourse, Room B-131 (inside Courthouse) BROOKLYN: 210 Joralemon Street, Room 205 MANHATTAN: 1 Centre Street, Second Floor QUEENS: 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Room X001 (ground floor) STATEN ISLAND: 10 Richmond Terrace, Room 311

For more information about the City of New York's domestic partnership registry, please visit the City Clerk's website by clicking on the link below or calling 311. If you live outside the City of New York and would like information on local domestic partnership registries, please contact your local LGBT community center or check the government listings in your local telephone book.

Click here to visit the City Clerk's website

Share


 



Terms of Use

Please remember that this forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not engaged through this forum in rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither SAGE nor any of the collaborating websites at which this forum is carried is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

Questions and messages posted to this forum are not statements of advice, opinion, or information of SAGE or any of its collaborating sites. While neither SAGE nor its collaborating sites regularly reviews posted content, we reserve the right to delete, move, or edit postings if we deem it appropriate under the circumstances. Visitors submitting questions remain solely responsible for the content of their messages.