Tag Archives: LGBT

Same-sex couples who live in states that don’t recognize gay marriage or civil unions are out of luck when it comes to estate taxes, facing much higher rates when one partner passes away than do their peers who are legally married. The discriminatory nature of tax laws was illustrated by a recent case in Pennsylvania, where Marie Himmelberger’s longtime partner Sharon Warnock passed away in 2010. Himmelberger and Warnock were in fact legally joined in New Jersey after a 2007 …

  The Defense of Marriage Act has been ruled unconstitutional by two federal courts, but LGBT marriages have yet to receive federal recognition and the rights and protections that come with it. One area in which this impacts same-sex couples is estate planning and inheritance.         Mobile users click here to view the video.         Lawyers.com Supervising Producer John McCarthy interviews attorney Joan Burda, an estate planning expert who focuses on LGBT issues. Burda …

David Arquette & Courteney Cox Stupidly Plan Divorce Without Lawyers After a two-year separation, David Arquette and Courteney Cox have finally filed to end their 12-year marriage. But the actors may be in for more than they bargained for as they try to end their union without the help of skilled attorneys. Find Out More…   Fatal Side Effects Of Prescription Drugs on the Rise Heart attacks, kidney failure, stroke and death–it’s dangerous out there in the world of prescription …

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing in North Carolina to overturn a law banning second-parent adoption, which effectively prevents LGBT partners from adopting their significant others’ children. Adoption laws vary by state, many discriminatory to same-sex couples Ban on second-parent adoption puts children in limbo if parent dies Controversial study on gay parenting questioned   Discrimination by Law The lead plaintiff in the ACLU lawsuit, Marcie Fisher-Borne, has been with her partner Chantelle for 15 years. Each birthed one …

A man on trial for murdering his friend in Philadelphia initially indicated that he would use a “gay panic defense,” in which he would argue that he flew into a rage following an unwanted sexual advance. Fortunately, a judge quickly put a kibosh on the idea. Gay panic cited in murder of Matthew Shephard, others Tactic attempted as part of insanity defense Sexual advances are not justification for homicide   Panic or Self Defense? A bizarre set of circumstances that …