The United States Supreme Court's ruling that legalized same-sex marriages nationwide certainly stirred up quite a bit of controversy. From politicians vowing to get the decision repealed to county clerks sidestepping their duties to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the opposition to the ruling were intent on making their opinions known, citing that religious freedoms and states' rights were violated. On the other side of the argument, supporters wasted no time in celebrating, taking to the streets with rainbow-colored flags and banners. Not all of them were there to rejoice over the right to marriage, though.
Same-Sex Divorce – A Bittersweet Victory for the LGBTQ Community
As an immediate consequence of the Supreme Court's ruling, same-sex couples all over the country were granted the right to divorce in their state. It might seem unfortunate, but to many couples, it was a welcome sigh of relief. Previously, if a state did not recognize the legality of a same-sex union, it would also not allow that couple to file for divorce. Effectively, this allowed state lines to lock many same-sex couples into marriages that they wanted to dissolve.
Going through a divorce is not a simple matter, however, and things may be potentially all the more complicated for same-sex couples. Issues regarding child custody agreements and a fathers' rights in a divorce are currently in a gray area of legislation, as they were traditionally dependent on one gender or another. The roles of mother and father in a same-sex relationship are obviously less clear. It could be possible that the laws will need to be modified to represent an equal division of rights between spouses, regardless of gender. How or if those changes will come about any time soon is yet to be determined.
If you are going through a same-sex divorce in Southern California and need help figuring out what to do next, The Law Offices of Paul A. Eads, A.P.C. are here for you. My firm has been supporting families in their times of need for years, so do not hesitate to contact me today to schedule your free case evaluation with a caring and knowledgeable Covina divorce attorney.