Does a civil union provide any rights to a surviving partner?
In Texas, civil unions, or domestic partnerships, provide certain rights and responsibilities that two individuals in a committed relationship share. This is different from marriage, as the civil union does not have the same legal effect as a marriage. A civil union bestows certain rights to both partners, such as the right to make medical decisions on the other’s behalf and to share benefits such as health insurance, access to family leave, and spousal discounts from certain retailers. However, in Texas, civil unions also provide specific rights to the surviving partner in the case of the other partner’s death. These rights include the ability to make decisions concerning the deceased partner’s remains and any medical issues relating to the death. A surviving partner in a civil union also has the right to bring a wrongful death suit in cases where the death is due to another person’s negligence. In addition, a surviving partner in a civil union in Texas has the right to inherit the estate of the deceased partner, regardless of whether the deceased partner had a will or not. Texas also has laws that protect the surviving partner from being disinherited due to the terms of a will. Overall, the rights conferred to a surviving partner in a civil union in Texas are limited, but still exist. This is important, as these rights can provide protection to the surviving partner in the case of the other partner’s death.
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