A
domestic partnership is an
interpersonal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are not
married (to each other or to anyone else). The term is not used consistently, which results in some inter-jurisdictional confusion. Some jurisdictions, such as
Australia,
New Zealand, and the American states of
Oregon,
Washington (only available if one of the parties is 62 or older),
Nevada,
Wisconsin,
Maine, and
California, use the term "Domestic Partnership" to mean what other jurisdictions call
Civil Union,
Civil Partnership, or
Registered Partnership. Other jurisdictions use the term as it was originally coined, to mean an interpersonal status created by local municipal and county governments, which provides an extremely limited range of rights and responsibilities.