Colorado Civil Unions

Colorado is special in that it’s one of only four states that allow civil unions. The other three states on board are Hawaii, Illinois, and New Jersey.

Entering into this legal relationship as a couple provides legal protections to the couple at the state level. Now that same-sex marriages are legal, civil unions are not as common. This type of relationship is recognized as a marriage in every way but the title. In some cases, civil unions may still require a divorce proceeding in order to legally separate.

It can be difficult to decipher between marriage, domestic partnership, and civil unions. Here are a few things FYI:

• Partners in this arrangement qualify to receive spousal employer benefits
• Partners in a civil union are considered immediate family members on legally binding documents
• Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements can be entered by civil union partners
• Just like a married couple, a civil union partner is considered a spouse in an adoption or fostering situation

Domestic partnerships and civil unions may seem identical, but civil unions provide more rights to a legally-bound couple. Domestic partners (DP) retain limited rights like receiving a pension or their partner’s health insurance coverage. Additionally, these arrangements allow partners to file taxes jointly but that’s about where DPs’ rights end.

Civil union partners’ rights extend beyond the limitations of a domestic partnership. Although it varies state-to-state, civil unions allow partners more state-based, or non-federal, rights like shared debt responsibility, shared rights to property and other aspects of a partnership.