Tag Archives: LGBT

Cohabitation Agreements Protect Relationships More and more couples are living together without being married. For those who do, a cohabitation agreement may be appropriate. This private contract between long-term cohabitants establishes the rights and obligations that married people obtain by law, custom and agreement. Find Out More…   Don’t Spy on Your Cheating Spouse Unexplained absences, furtive phone calls, mysterious credit card charges — these just some of the clues that a spouse may be having an affair. A plethora …

The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it would take up two cases which challenge the constitutionality of bans on LGBT marriage. In one case, the court will rule on the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same sex marriage, effectively blocking LGBT couples from tax benefits and other privileges of official partnership in the eyes of Uncle Sam. New York resident Edith Windsor challenged DOMA as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth …

With the looming possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the Defense of Marriage Act sometime this term, married same-sex couples could suddenly find themselves eligible for a host of federal tax benefits. Even better, if couples file what is known as a protective tax refund claim with the IRS before the end of the year, they could potentially pick up some extra dollars going as far back as 2009. DOMA, the 1996 Clinton-era law banning federal recognition …

More Grandparents Seeking Visitation Rights The baby boom generation is aging and people are living longer, healthier lives. That means more grandparents are active participants in their grandchildren’s lives. They are also pursuing visitation rights when divorce or family dysfunction results in their being cut off from their grandchildren. Find Out More…   Cops are Monitoring You on Social Media [Infographic] More than 70% of law enforcement agencies across the U.S. use social media as an investigative tool. In a …

For the second time this year, a federal appeals court has deemed that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Today the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled that the 1996 law barring federal recognition of same-sex marriages is in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution that guarantees equal protection under the law. In June the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Boston handed down a similar ruling in a separate …