Same-sex couples ending a marriage or a registered domestic partnership — sometimes searched as a “gay divorce” — often find that family law wasn't built with their relationships in mind. Marriage dates that don't match relationship start dates, retroactive domestic partnership conversions, and parentage questions when only one partner is a legal parent can complicate a case that should otherwise be straightforward. Marla Keenan-Rivero has handled a growing number of these cases in recent years and mediates them the same private, non-adversarial way she handles every family matter: property division, support, and parenting plans resolved directly between both parties, without a courtroom.

California recognized domestic partnerships years before it recognized same-sex marriage, and many couples' actual relationship timelines don't line up neatly with either date. That gap matters — it affects how community property is calculated and what counts as separate property brought into the relationship. Marla has mediated same-sex couples through exactly this kind of case and knows how Sonoma County courts and family law professionals treat these timeline questions. For couples with children, she also has direct experience with the parentage issues that arise when only one partner lacks a biological connection to a child — including cases involving second-parent adoption or de facto (psychological) parent status — an area where an inexperienced mediator can leave a family exposed.

Mediation covers dissolution of same-sex marriages and termination of registered domestic partnerships — what's sometimes referred to as gay divorce — including property division (real estate, retirement accounts, business interests), spousal or partner support, and child custody and support where children are involved. For couples who completed a second-parent adoption or where one partner holds de facto parent status, Marla addresses parentage as part of the same mediation process. Sessions are offered in half-day and full-day formats and produce a written Memorandum of Understanding after each session. Most cases resolve in 2–4 sessions, and each party's independent attorney reviews the final agreement before it's submitted to the court.

 Call (707) 525-8800 or email Tidwell@perrylaw.net. The initial consultation is free and confidential.