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Colorado’s legislature passed the Colorado Civil Unions Act (SB 2013-11) today, March 12, 2013. Governor Hickenlooper will be signing the bill on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the Colorado History Museum at 3 p.m. The law will be effective May 1, 2013.
With the passage of the Colorado Civil Unions Act many questions arise. To help answer some of the frequently asked questions, we put together the attached FAQ Sheet.
Questions answered in the attached FAQ Sheet include:
- What is a civil union?
- When can I get a civil union?
- Who can enter into a civil union?
- How do I get a civil union?
- What impact does the Colorado Civil Union Act have on a domestic partnership agreement or civil contract that I previously entered into?
- What if I have entered into a marriage, civil union, or registered domestic partnership elsewhere, do I have to enter into a civil union in Colorado?
- Can I change my name after entering into a civil union?
- How does a civil union impact my parent-child relationship with non-biological children I have with my partner?
- What rights and responsibilities do I have as a result of my civil union?
- What rights and responsibilities are withheld under civil unions that are granted under marriage?
- How do I end a civil union, or obtain a divorce from a marriage to a same-sex spouse obtained in another state?
- Are there any reasons why parties should not enter into a civil union?
- Do we still need to do estate planning, such as medical powers of attorney and wills, to protect our rights now that we have civil unions?
To read the Act in its entirety, go here.
We will continue to update the FAQ sheet as the new law progresses.