Housemate Xed works for the Secretary of State, in the bit that registers businesses and, for a few years and for somewhat convoluted political reasons, domestic partnerships. 

Yesterday their office received the… complaints? Of a somewhat distraught pair of people (notice I do not say ‘couple’) who, at some point in the last few years, had decided to go into business together — a nail salon or something, I think — and been advised that they should form a Partnership. Pretty standard for a small business with two owners.

…except they didn’t understand and formed a Domestic Partnership instead. 

Washington State legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, and as part of that, this June ALL non-senior domestic partnerships became marriages automatically.

These two business partners accidentally married each other.

And now they’re trying to figure out how to undo it.

…short of divorce.