DENVER—Colorado's civil union law for gay and lesbian couples has been on the books since May and there already have been seven divorce cases on court dockets, but supporters of the new law say it's not a concern.

In some cases, relationships fell apart soon after the new law went into effect. In other cases, Colorado provided an opportunity closer to home for gay couples looking to end relationships legally recognized in other states.

"You can't have one without the other. With the recognition of civil unions come the rights and responsibilities to the family, regardless of what happens to the relationship," said House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, an openly gay lawmaker and one of the authors of the civil union law.

The Colorado Judicial Department said cases are pending in Denver, Boulder, El Paso and Jefferson counties.

Colorado's civil union law recognizes same-sex relationships from the beginning through death, when rights of inheritance begin. It also carries provisions for the eventuality of a split.

Spousal maintenance, distribution of property and assets, child visitation and child support through dissolution are included in the law.

"Every relationship doesn't always last. It's important to have a process to resolve ending of a relationship, especially when kids are involved. Prior to civil unions, depending on the judge and the documents you had, there really wasn't a very orderly process. This provides for a very orderly separation with more legal certainties," Ferrandino said.

Denver lawyer Tawni Cummings, who represents the petitioner in one of the state's pending dissolution cases, said her client and partner have been in a 32-year lesbian relationship and established a domestic partnership in 2008 in California. They moved to Colorado in 2011 before their relationship came to an end.

"I think (Colorado's civil union law) is really going to provide a lot of protection to people in relationships of this length," Cummings said. "You hear horror stories about people losing a lot of what they've spent a life together building."

Colorado law now recognizes similar legal affirmations from other states, including gay marriage, as civil unions. Under that provision, Cummings' client is seeking to dissolve her California domestic partnership in a Colorado court.

Gay marriage is legal in 13 states and the District of Columbia, and six more states recognize some form of civil unions between same-sex couples. The laws governing dissolution of those relationships vary from state to state, and some require that the dissolution occur in the same state where legal recognition of a relationship was issued. Some require residency in the state for a period of months in order to legally end a recognized relationship.

Brad Clark, executive director of the gay-rights advocacy organization One Colorado, tells the Fort Collins Coloradoan ( some details of Colorado's new law may have to be decided by judges, including decisions on how to deal with unions from other states.


Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan,