“The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act (Stats. 2003, Ch. 421) extends to registered domestic partners almost all of the rights, benefits, protections and obligations that apply to spouses under California law both during and upon termination of the union; and makes marriage dissolution, nullity and legal separation procedures applicable to domestic partnerships. In accordance with the Act, and unless otherwise indicated, the terms “spouse” and “spouses” used in this Practice Guide should be read as encompassing “domestic partner” and “domestic partners”; “father” and “mother” should be read as encompassing “parent”; and “marriage,” “marital” and “marital status” should be read as encompassing “domestic partnership” and “domestic partnership status.”
[California Practice Guide-Family Law [citations to primary sources omitted]]
