Giusi wrote:

> I have been to several civil partner ceremonies in the past couple of years.
> Most of them have been because without it a long term partner can have no
> rights in emergencies. One friend of a friend was forbidden to enter the
> hospital room where his partner lay dying by a bitter family who had not
> spoken to either of them in a decade.
> Then there are inheritance issues-- in some countries you cannot leave your
> estate away from family or spouse so it could be important that your partner
> be legally a spouse.
>
I know I've written on this here in the past but I'll repeat it for
those who never heard it before- In the US all one has to do is have an
Advanced Directive for Medical Care and a Durable Power of Attorney
drawn up with WHOMEVER they WISH as their representative and who will
have the legal right to make decisions. Of course this should be done
before you need it...but rarely is?
The inheritance issues need to be addressed separately in a will.
I've never once experienced a "partner" being denied full access to a
patient in my care, except (in the not unheard of cases) where a man has
a wife AND girlfriends! I've experienced plenty of infighting amongst
family members who disagree amongst themselves over the patient.