Civil Unions in Illinois
In a historic moment, yesterday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, signed the civil union bill which allows same-sex couples many of the same rights as married couples. While Illinois is the sixth state to recognize civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners, it still does not allow gay marriages, as do five other states, including neighboring Iowa, and Washington DC.
The law takes effect on June 1, 2011. Some of the key protections related to health care are the right to visit a loved one in a hospital, share a nursing home room as couple and make end–of- life decisions for ones partner. Other benefits relate to employment benefits and health insurance. The law in Illinois is unique, unlike other civil union statutes, as it also applies to unmarried heterosexual couples.
The law is very wide-spread with many applications. It will be interesting as a Chicago divorce lawyer to see how people take advantage of it and how the Illinois County Clerk offices gear up for it.
Updated on 10-23-18 – Civil Unions are still legal in Illinois. However, in 2013 Illinois had a historic update. Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Illinois since a law signed by IL Governor Pat Quinn on November 20, 2013. This law took effect on June 1, 2014.
