Information for Same-Sex Couples

While same-sex marriage is not recognized in Georgia, Atlanta and Fulton County as a whole provide benefits to the domestic partners of government employees. This is an evolving area of family law, as it is in other states. The following resources are intended to help same-sex couples in the Atlanta area better understand their rights:

General Resources for Same-Sex Couples:

Same-Sex Marriage: A Historical Introduction (FindLaw)

What is a Domestic Partnership? (FindLaw) - Brief overview of benefits (and legal differences from marriage) of domestic partnerships.

The Defense of Marriage Act and the Call for a Constitutional Amendment (FindLaw)

Developments in Same-Sex Marriage Law (FindLaw) - Overview of the often contentious struggle over same-sex marriage laws.

Same-Sex Marriage Pros and Cons (FindLaw)

Same Sex Parenting Rights (eQualityGiving.org) - Overview of same-sex parenting rights, by topic and by state.

Legal Recognition of LGBT Families (PDF, National Center for Lesbian Rights)

Resources for Same-Sex Couples in Atlanta:

Legal Overview of Same-Sex Family Rights in Georgia (Lambda Legal)

Athens-Clarke County Declaration of Domestic Partnership (PDF, Athens-Clarke County, Georgia)

Policy of Extending Employment Benefits to Domestic Partners of Fulton County Employees (City of Atlanta)