Orange County Same Sex Marriage Lawyer

California was the first state to make the historic move forward to allow same sex marriage within the state.  Couples in same sex marriage now enjoy the same rights and responsibilities that all other opposite sex spouses enjoy.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding a same sex marriage, contact an Orange County based same sex marriage lawyer for answers.  This was not a battle that was won overnight, but instead took years and decades to finalize and reach the state of the law California now finds itself in.

Proposition 8

Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition posed to voters in November 2008 by opponents of same sex marriage in retaliation to the California Supreme Court’s ruling earlier that year on same sex marriage.  The language of Proposition 8 stated that marriage between a man and a woman would be the only recognized form of marriage within the state.  Proposition 8 was ruled unconstitutional in 2010 by a federal court.  The Supreme Court of the United States declared that the proponents of the initiatives within the Proposition 8 case did not have legal standing to defend the case in court, and therefore dismissed the appeal, leaving the district court’s 2010 ruling intact.  On June 28, 2013, the long road to same sex marriage ended in California and couples were able to enjoy same sex marriage throughout the state.

Same Sex Marriage Benefits

Same sex marriage in California offers the same rights as any other opposite sex marriage provides.  Both spouses will be able to inherit from each other in case of a tragic accident and either spouse can be placed on the other spouse’s insurance without any pressing questions from insurance companies.  These seem like basic benefits for any opposite sex couple, but have been the product of years and decades of ongoing constitutional challenges.

One of the most important benefits same sex couples now qualify for is certain social security benefit programs which historically were not available to same sex couples.  Spouses may now receive spousal survivor benefits in the case of a surviving spouse of a worker entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.  Same sex couples now additionally are able to take advantage of federal tax benefits through marriage, such as filing joint returns with the IRS.  Spouses of military personnel are also now able to claim health care, family separation pay, and other veterans’ benefits.

Free Legal Consultation With Orange County Same Sex Marriage Lawyer

The Orange County same sex marriage attorneys of Boyd Law can assist you in each step of the process of your same sex marriage.  Whether you want to draft premarital or postmarital agreements, new wills, or simply want advice on the legal state of same sex marriage, our team of attorneys will be able to assist you each step of the way.  Our legal team consists of some of the best Orange County family attorneys, and we carefully follow all the legislative and legal changes in the laws and will ensure that all documentation provides you with the rights and responsibilities you and your spouse are entitled to.  Contact our Orange County office today for your initial free consultation.