Are the rights the same between married people versus people who are living together?
The rights of married persons and the laws governing the divorce or legal separation of married persons are well-defined in Ohio law. However, there are few Ohio laws defining the rights and responsibilities of co-habitating unmarried partners. Therefore, unmarried, co-habitating partners in Ohio–including those who break up and terminate their relationships–must look to Ohio’s general contract and property law to establish, define and enforce certain legal rights and claims with respect to their partners or ex-partners.

The Forms & Education tab offers materials on the legal options available to, and pitfalls faced by, both same-sex and opposite-sex unmarried partners in Ohio.