Few books address what LGBTQ widows and widowers face after a partner's death. Long-term partners who were never legally married often lose legal ground that married spouses do not. Adopted children and children born through surrogacy add another layer, especially when only one partner is the legal parent. When Your Partner Dies walks readers through these problems in plain, step-by-step language, the same approach Farrell used in her first book, When a Spouse Dies: A Step-by-Step Guide to What Comes Next.

"This book is for you whether you were married for thirty years, or together for thirty years without ever being allowed to marry," said Farrell. "It is for you whether your family has always accepted your relationship, or has never once said the word husband, wife, or partner out loud. You do not have to do this perfectly, and you do not have to do it alone."

The book covers what to do in the first hours and the first week, what to say if a hospital or funeral home does not recognize a surviving partner as the decision-maker, and how Social Security, wills, and property work when a couple was never legally married. It also includes a relationship documentation worksheet, checklists for the first 30 days and the first year, and a list of LGBTQ-affirming legal, financial, and grief resources. The author underscores, however, that this is not to be seen as legal advice, but as information to help until you get legal advice where it may be needed. 

When Your Partner Dies will be available starting August 31, 2026, in the following formats: epub, paperback and. audiobooks on Amazon.

Patricia A. Farrell, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist, writes practical, plain-language guides for people facing some of life's hardest days without a roadmap. She is also the author of When a Spouse Dies: A Step-by-Step Guide to What Comes Next and How to Be Your Own Therapist. When Your Partner Dies is available on Amazon starting August 31, 2026.