Marriage

Same-sex marriage is a constantly evolving area of law and we have witnessed many significant advances in the past few years.  Because of the nature of our practice, we are frequently asked by our clients whether they can get married, and if so, what would their marriage mean in the State of New York and elsewhere.

In an effort to answer some of these questions, we thought it would be helpful to provide a summary of what we know so far.  As of November 2008, the following jurisdictions allow same-sex marriage:

• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• Canada
• Spain
• The Netherlands
• South Africa
• Belgium
• Norway

On May 14, 2008, New York Governor David Patterson ordered all state agencies to update their policies and regulations to recognize the legal validity of same sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions in the U.S. and abroad.  There is a lawsuit to block Governor Patterson’s directive currently pending in the NY courts.       

As this is a rapidly changing area of law, if you are considering getting married, we urge you to contact us to discuss your legal options and rights.