Bill will grant probate protections for domestic partners, eliminate inheritance taxes

Domestic partners registering with the state will now be given the same rights as married spouses in probate matters, allowing one partner to inherit the other’s assets when they die while avoiding costly inheritance taxes, including in instances where no will exists, according to new legislation. Seven percent of adults nationwide live as unmarried partners, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a statistic that has nearly tripled in recent decades.