Columbia Family Divorce Law Blog

Same-sex couples in Washington may be interested to learn that four same-sex couples in Idaho have sued the state for denying them the right to marry. In addition, the lawsuit also sued for the failure of the state to recognize couples who legally marry in other states.

In 2010, a Florida woman and her same-sex partner traveled to Massachusetts in order to get married and soon thereafter returned to Florida to live. When the pair decided to get divorced in 2012 they encountered problems because of Florida not recognizing the marriage.

Same-sex marriage is legally recognized in Washington, and divorce situations will inevitably arise that include child custody issues. An interesting same-sex separation drama is being played out in California and Connecticut.

On Aug. 29, the Internal Revenue Service said they would recognize all legal same-sex marriages for federal taxes. The announcement came just days after the U.S. military confirmed they would provide benefits to same-sex couples, and the State Department’s provision to honor the union as they relate to immigration.

The Social Security Administration recently announced that it had begun processing some of the first claims for retirement benefits in the United States for same-sex couples. This was likely good news for many same-sex couples here in Washington because they can now apply for government benefits as a couple rather than separately.

When it comes to alimony payments, how far would you or your spouse go to get what you deserve? Would you request reasonable spousal support payments or would you make an outrageous request like one Indian woman made recently?