In May, anti same-sex marriage laws were struck down in three different states, including in Pennsylvania. These events are legally significant because they have resulted in the number of states that legally allow same-sex marriage rising to 19. These historic changes, often through the reversal of same-sex marriage bans, represent interesting family law-related issues. The […]
CONNECTICUT AND POSTNUPTIAL AGREEMENTS
Most people have heard of prenuptial agreements, but many don’t even realize that there is such thing as a postnuptial agreement. Postnuptial agreements function similar to prenuptial agreements in that they provide a legal outline in case of the dissolution of a marriage and other unforeseen circumstances. However, a postnuptial agreement is entered into after […]
U.S. SUPREME COURT DENIES DAY IN COURT TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LAW CASES
With the 2014-2015 United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) term nearly underway, the justices had to determine which cases they would add on to their docket for official judicial review. Five appeals of same-sex marriage laws were presented to SCOTUS, and in a move that shocked both proponents and of opponents of gay marriage, SCOTUS declined […]
SAME-SEX MILITARY COUPLES AND THEIR UNIQUE FAMILY LAW ISSUES
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s striking down of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), federal military benefits were finally extended to same-sex couples and their children. Though this landmark ruling has furthered the struggle for equal rights, same-sex military couples still face serious complications when exercising their legal rights regarding their children and in other […]
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CASES
In 2013, the Supreme Court (SC) struck down relevant portions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the case United States v. Windsor. By striking down the portions of DOMA that defined marriage as only being an act between a male and a female, the SC’s decision required the U.S. federal government to provide […]
6TH CIRCUIT RULING MAY FINALLY FORCE SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
The month of November led to some very interesting political developments across the U.S. In addition to retaking control of the Senate, conservatives also had a big win after a U.S. Court of Appeal for the 6th Circuit panel in Cincinnati, Ohio upheld same-sex marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Ohio. This decision comes […]