Domestic Partnerships Rights

11/15/00
What are my rights as a partner to a person that I have lived with for 9 years, I live in Molalla Oregon. My significant other is thinking about moving to Wisconsin and I don't plan on moving there with him due to my daughter being a Sophomore in High School. I truly believe he is going through Male Menopause he just turned 40 and he shows all the signs of so unsure all of a sudden of what he wants. My partner and I have experienced several altercations in the last couple of months where he demands that my daughter and I move out over the week wnd while he stayed at a friends house this is next to impossible to move in 2 days.

My partner owns his own home and I am not on the deed/mortgage but I do pay 1/2 the house payment and have paid for the last 9 years, I take care of the gardening in the flower beds we have a small 3 acre farm with fruit trees, grape viens, pastture land for our cows and a small barn for our cows, I have worked hard for our home to look the way it does. My partner did 2 re-finances on his home in which I was not part of he just did it because it would benifit his situation either a lower interest rate or to pay off his bills and we built a 30 by 36 shop on the property with the rest of the money.

If you have any information on what my rights are I would deeply appreciate an e-mail back.

Thank You
Belinda

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

Oregon, like California, is NOT a Common Law marriage State. As such, the average relationship has no protections of the law concerning entitlements to property, both real and personal.

However, that's not necessarily the end of the story.

You may recall, from years ago, the California "Palimony" lawsuit between the late actor, Lee Marvin and his live-in, unmarried, "wife" Michelle Triola-Marvin. During their relationship, they both "held each other out as husband and wife", and making other aspects of their unmarried relationship "significant".

Palimony is usually a matter of money, although it can be other possessions, asked for by one half of an unmarried couple suing the other after the breakup of the union. The suit usually claims the plaintiff gave up work and other financial opportunities during the time the two were together, at the request of the other party (the "promise" to take care of the other partner). Now, that individual wants to be recompensed for those lost dollars.

Palimony is not a legal marital relationship with those legal entitlements. It is an iffy process when it comes to the courts. Some folks win their cases, some do not.

See an attorney to determine whether "palimony" is recognized in Oregan and, if so, whether or not the laws of Oregon will recognize your "union" as being significant enough to qualify.

IAAL