-
Home > Practice Areas > Employment Law > State employers must recognize same-sex couples
State employers must recognize same-sex couples
By:
Sylvia Hsieh
Published: June 4, 2009
Tags: employee benefits, same-sex couples
Login required
You have clicked on a link to
information that is | ||
Already a paid subscriber but not registered for online access yet? For instructions on how to get premium web access, click here. |
||
Interested in Subscribing?
Start by choosing how you'd like your news delivered.
 - Print and Online - |
 - Online Only - |
![[Print]](http://lawyersusaonline.com/wp-content/plugins/tdc-sociable-toolbar/print.png)
![[Email]](http://api.addthis.com/oexchange/0.8/forward/email/offer?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>)
![[RSS Feed]](http://lawyersusaonline.com/wp-content/plugins/tdc-sociable-toolbar/rssfeed.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>)
![[Facebook]](http://lawyersusaonline.com/wp-content/plugins/tdc-sociable-toolbar/facebook.png)
© Copyright 2012 Lawyers USA. All Rights Reserved.
NEW FREE WHITE PAPER: E-Discovery
This FREE e-report brought to you by Lawyers USA contains the latest tips for conducting thorough and successful electronic discovery for your trial in 2012. We’ve analyzed the latest court rulings and trends in e-discovery to help you and your clients avoid sanctions and win your case.
Click here to get your free White Paper today!
Most Viewed Stories
- Injury caused by cell phone use yields $22 million verdict
- Jury blames hospital for using old equipment in baby’s birth
- Police officer’s lawsuit divides town, settles for $1.2 million
- State attorneys general push for generic drug legislation
- Some birth control associated with increased blood clot risk
LEGAL BLOGS
DC Dicta Legal buzz from Washington
![Ask](http://myjeeves.ask.com/mysearch/BookmarkIt?v=1.2&t=webpages&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![backflip](http://www.backflip.com/add_page_pop.ihtml?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![blinklist](http://blinklist.com/index.php?Action=Blink/addblink.php&Url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&Title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![BlogMarks](http://blogmarks.net/my/new.php?mini=1&simple=1&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![BuddyMarks](http://www.buddymarks.com/add_bookmark.php?bookmark_title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&bookmark_url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/){kind=link}
![CiteULike](http://www.citeulike.org/posturl?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![co.mments](http://co.mments.com/track?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Connotea](http://www.connotea.org/addpopup?continue=confirm&uri=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![diigo](http://www.diigo.com/post?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![DotNetKicks](http://www.dotnetkicks.com/kick/?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![dzone](http://www.dzone.com/links/add.html?description=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Fark](http://cgi.fark.com/cgi/fark/farkit.pl?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&h=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Faves](http://faves.com/Authoring.aspx?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Feed Me Links](http://feedmelinks.com/categorize?from=toolbar&op=submit&name=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/){kind=link}
![Friendsite](http://friendsite.com/users/bookmark/?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Furl](http://www.furl.net/storeIt.jsp?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Google](http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=edit&output=popup&bkmk=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Hugg](http://www.hugg.com/node/add/storylink?edit[title]=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&edit[url]=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/){kind=link}
![Jeqq](http://www.jeqq.com/submit.php?url==http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![linkaGoGo](http://www.linkagogo.com/go/AddNoPopup?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&summary=A+new+state+law+requires+employers+in+Washington+state+to+treat+registered+domestic+partners+the+same+as+married+couples+for+such+things+as+group+health+insurance+coverage%2C+survivorship+benefits+and+leave+policies.%0AUnless+the+new+law+is+overturned+by+voter+initiatives%2C+employers+must+comply+with+the+changes+by+July+26%2C+2009.%0A-Sylvia+Hsieh&source=Lawyers+USA+Online){kind=link}
![LinksMarker](http://www.linksmarker.com/submit.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Ma.gnolia](http://ma.gnolia.com/bookmarklet/add?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Mister Wong](http://www.mister-wong.com/index.php?action=addurl&bm_url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&bm_description=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![MySpace](http://www.myspace.com/Modules/PostTo/Pages/?c=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![MyWeb](http://myweb.yahoo.com/myweb/save?t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/){kind=link}
![Netvouz](http://www.netvouz.com/action/submitBookmark?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&popup=no){kind=link}
![oneview](http://www.oneview.com/quickadd/neu/addBookmark.jsf?URL=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![OnlyWire](http://www.onlywire.com/submit?u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![PlugIM](http://www.plugim.com/submit?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Propeller](http://www.propeller.com/submit/?U=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&T=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Reddit](http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Segnalo](http://segnalo.com/post.html.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Simpy](http://www.simpy.com/simpy/LinkAdd.do?href=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Slashdot](http://slashdot.org/bookmark.pl?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Sphere](http://www.sphere.com/search?q=sphereit:http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Sphinn](http://sphinn.com/submit.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Spurl](http://www.spurl.net/spurl.php?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![StumbleUpon](http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![ThisNext](http://www.thisnext.com/pick/new/submit/sociable/?url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&name=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Tumblr](http://www.tumblr.com/share?v=3&u=lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Twitter](http://twitter.com/home/?status=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>+http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/){kind=link}
![Webride](http://webride.org/discuss/split.php?uri=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Windows Live](https://favorites.live.com/quickadd.aspx?mkt=en-us&url=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&title=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Yahoo!](http://bookmarks.yahoo.com/toolbar/savebm?opener=tb&u=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/&t=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>){kind=link}
![Email This to a Friend](http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailFlare?loc=en_US&itemTitle=State employers must recognize same-sex couples <span class="dmcss_key_icon"><img alt="(access required)" src="/wp-content/themes/lwusa/images/lock.gif" border=0/></span>&uri=http://lawyersusaonline.com/blog/2009/06/04/washington-state-employers-must-recognize-same-sex-couples/){kind=link}
FEATURED PODCAST
Baby Boomer lawyers and retirement
Nelson Schwartz from The New York Times recently wrote an article titled, "Easing Out the Gray-Haired. Or Not.," spotlighting the fate of the Baby Boomer generation within law firms. Attorney and co-host Bob Ambrogi welcomes Attorney Valerie C. Samuels, a partner in the firm Posternak Blankstein & Lund LLP and co-chair of the Employment Law Group, and Attorney Roy Ginsburg, to take a look at this generation of baby boomers within law firms, retirement, their fate within the firm, options upon retirement and what this means for law firms: big, small and solo.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
Click here to download the podcast.
Click here for the Podcast archive.
Comments