Hi,

I have a very dear friend (let's call her Sarah) who is in dire need
of assistance (in the form of info) as soon as is possible, as her 20
year gay relationship with her partner (let's call her Beth) is ending
and she does not know what her rights are.  This answer will be a gift
from me to this person, so  please take this answer only if you are
familiar with legal and/or gay issues, and/or believe you can provide
useful info and links.

My Questions are as follows:

1) What, if any, are Sarah's rights in regard to spousal support and
division of assets, how can she protect these rights, and to whom can
she turn for assistance with this issue?

2) Are there any resources out there that can assist her with her
situation, in regard to financial assistance, emotional assistance,
and anything else that might be helpful.  She is scared because she
has been unable to work for some time, due to health problems, and
will need a period of time to deal with this issue, and hopefully be
able to retrain for some type of sustainable work.

I will provide more details about the relationship and particulars
once someone has agreed to take this question.  If possible, I would
prefer to provide this info via private email box, to protect the
privacy of those involved.

I look forward to hearing your answer, and I greatly thank you for
your interest in this question.  :-)

This is not in my area of expertise but I know for a fact that the
first clarification you will be asked to make is "In what state?". I
recommend you go ahead and answer that now if your need for a response
is urgent becasue it can sometimes make a big difference in the law.

tutuzdad-ga

BTW, my friend lives in the state of California.  

Thanks for proposing that I clarify this matter tutuzdad.