Every now and then, headlines spotlight a celebrity who has entered the world of conservatorship – where courts determine if there are issues that a person can’t handle, and if someone else should be named a guardian or conservator of that person.

There are thousands of conservatorship actions in California every year, but most of them aren’t big news. It’s the actors, entertainers and other popular idols who get the press, the blogs and the YouTube exposure.

Civil lawsuits, called “civil litigation” in legalese, are always with us. I don’t handle most types of litigation in my practice, but I am sometimes asked by prospective clients whether they have a “good case” and might win if they filed a lawsuit. Since this is not my area of interest, I usually refer people on to other attorneys experienced in these issues for an answer.

Most couples avoid talking about what might happen if the relationship fails. It’s not romantic to discuss a possible break-up, especially when we have waited so long for these official recognitions of our relationships, but it is definitely a prudent step. There are financial obligations and responsibilities that come with marriage, RDP’s, and civil unions, and they need to be discussed and understood as part of the package.

Millions of couples in California and around the U.S. live together (cohabit) without benefit of marriage, civil unions or registered domestic partnerships.

Whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or straight, they often share their assets and incomes without any formal or legal arrangements. People enter into these relationships so easily and freely, that they rarely stop to think that such unions can be extremely risky. Let’s look at why, and what you should do about it to protect yourself.