Legal Status Helps Couples Stay Together

Same-sex couples in legally bound relationships appear to stay in their relationships longer than those who are not legally recognized, according to a new study published in Developmental Psychology.
The study is a five-year project that began in 2002, the year same-sex civil unions were legalized in Vermont.
Robert-Jay Green, executive director of LGBT research organization Rockway Institute, said the study shows that civil union status itself may help preserve relationships.
"There are many ways that a legal couple status may support a relationship -- more family understanding, acceptance by friends and coworkers, greater commitment that results from a public declaration, and enhanced legal protections in the form of health care benefits and community property," Green said in a statement on Tuesday.