What are the legal implications of a civil union?
A civil union is a legally recognized union between two people of the same sex. In the state of Oregon, civil unions afford many of the same rights that married couples receive. When couples enter into a civil union in Oregon, they are granted the same rights that married couples have, including the ability to file joint tax returns and receive health insurance through an employer’s plan. They also become eligible to receive spousal benefits such as Social Security, pension, and veteran’s benefits if their partner dies or becomes disabled. Furthermore, civil unions allow couples to visit each other in the hospital and make medical decisions on each other’s behalf. It is important to note, however, that civil unions do not confer the same federal benefits as a legally recognized marriage. These include joint federal income tax filing status, spousal Social Security benefits, and other federal legal benefits. As of 2014, counties in Oregon are allowed to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples; however, couples in a civil union may not be able to access certain federal benefits until the federal government recognizes civil unions. In summary, a civil union provides couples with many of the same rights and responsibilities as married couples, such as filing joint tax returns, receiving spousal benefits, visiting each other in the hospital, making medical decisions for each other, and more. However, civil unions do not confer the same federal benefits as a legally recognized marriage.
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