Results tagged “bill” from Family Lawyers & Divorce Attorneys Blog

If a new bill is passed in Ohio, victims of domestic violence will be able to get their addresses shielded in a new confidentiality program.

To participate in the program, an individual would work with an appointed, trained, and certified "application assistant." To qualify for the program, the "program participant" would be required to make a sworn statement that he or she fears for their own safety and/or the safety of their children.

Once in the program, the participant's address would no longer be available to the public. Instead, all mail would be sent to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, which would forward the mail to the participant. During voting season, the participant would vote by absentee ballot.

In a press release on her website, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said she feels that Ohio is in a good position to implement the program, and that it will immediately provide relief for victims of domestic violence.

Brunner worked closely with state Rep. Kathleen Chandler, along with various domestic violence organizations to develop the program.

There are currently 37 states that have similar programs, 19 of which are administered by the Secretary of State's Office.

On her site, Brunner said that, "a program such as this offers affected woman and their children, as well as affected men, the opportunity to live peacefully at a location of their choosing with the privacy of their whereabouts kept safe from their stalkers or abusers.".

To learn if there is a similar program in your state, click here to find a family law attorney near you!

Voters in Washington State have approved a new "everything but marriage" law that expands the rights of domestic partners.

The measure asked voters to approve or reject an expansion to the state's domestic partnership laws, granting rights that, until now, have only been given to married couples.

The new law gives domestic partners:

·         The right to use sick leave to care for their partner

·         Rights to wages and benefits if their partner is injured, as well as to unpaid wages if their partner dies

·         Rights to unemployment and disability insurance benefits

·         Rights to workers' compensation coverage

·         Insurance rights, such as rights under group policies, policy rights after the death of a domestic partner, conversion rights, and continuing coverage rights

·         Rights relating to adoption, child custody, and child support

·         Business succession rights

According to the Washington Secretary of State's Office, the new law will take effect on December 3.

While results of the voting won't be officially known until Thursday, poll workers expect the measure to pass about 52% to 48%. So far, only 72% of the votes have been counted, due to the large amount of Washington residents who vote by mail.

Passing the measure is a milestone in gay rights and equality.  Washington is the first state to pass a voter-approved gay rights measure at the ballot box, rather than the legislature or the courts implementing the law.

The bill covers all domestic partnerships, not just those involving gay or lesbian couples.  Under Washington law, heterosexual couples can register as domestic partners if one partner is at least 62 years old.

There are currently 12,000 registered domestic partners in the state.

For more information about same-sex couple issues, click here to find a family law attorney near you!