Domestic partner registration: termination.

(1) Existing law provides that the superior courts have jurisdiction over all proceedings relating to the dissolution of domestic partnerships, nullity of domestic partnerships, and legal separation of partners in a domestic partnership. Existing law provides that the dissolution of a domestic partnership, nullity of a domestic partnership, and legal separation of partners in a domestic partnership follow the same procedures, and the partners possess the same rights, protections, and benefits, and be subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties, as apply to the dissolution of marriage, nullity of marriage, and legal separation of spouses in a marriage, respectively, except as specified. This bill would authorize parties to a registered domestic partnership who are also married to one another to petition the court to dissolve both their domestic partnership status and their marriage status in a single proceeding, in a form prescribed by the Judicial Council. The bill would also require the Judicial Council to prescribe the specified form. (2) Existing law provides that, in a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, for nullity of marriage, or for legal separation of the parties, the court has jurisdiction to inquire into and render any judgment and make orders that are appropriate concerning, among other things, the status of the marriage. Existing law provides that two persons of the same sex who contracted a marriage on or after November 5, 2008, that would be valid by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the marriage was contracted have the same rights and responsibilities as are granted to or imposed upon spouses with the sole exception of the designation of "marriage". This bill would specify that the court's jurisdiction concerning the status of a marriage includes those out-of-state same-sex marriages contracted on or after November 5, 2008.