Historic Supreme Court Ruling to Change Family Law Issues in Michigan

Historic Supreme Court Ruling to Change Family Law Issues in Michigan

On June 26, 2015, a historic ruling was issued by the United States Supreme Court that will undoubtedly have lasting effects on the entire nation. The nation’s highest court ruled that individual states can no longer ban same-sex couples from marrying. As a result, the 14 states that had previously passed same-sex marriage bans will no longer be able to deny people the right to marry. Michigan is among those states and was the original venue for one of the cases the High Court ruled on.

The two Michigan women who fought for the right to adopt each other’s children are elated at the Court’s decision and now say that they will turn their attention to planning a wedding and initiating the adoption process. The women’s battle began in 2011, when they began taking the necessary steps to ensure that their children would be protected in the event that something happened to one, or both, of them. The Supreme Court specifically noted in its Opinion that protecting children was one of the most important elements for the case of same-sex marriage. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) stated that “our state government will follow the law and our state agencies will make the necessary changes to ensure that we will fully comply.”

It is clear that the Supreme Court’s ruling will have a wide-range of effects on thousands of people from all over the country, including many here in Macomb County. With the exact nature of the changes that will occur being unknown at this time, there is no question that the High Court’s decision will lead to many new legal questions. For example, now that same-sex marriage is legal, how will the law treat same-sex divorce? Additionally, how will the ruling affect same-sex adoption and child custody, as well as spousal support, child support and visitation?

These issues will need to be addressed in a prompt manner, as same-sex couples are sure to experience the same problems that heterosexual couples and families experience. Thus, when these issues arise, it will be important to have an experienced family law attorney by your side. At the Law Office of Iafrate & Salassa, we know that same-sex couples and “non-traditional” families will experience new issues that could be difficult to resolve. We understand these complex situations and we will help you navigate through them with reliability, care and concern. Please contact us in Macomb County if you need help with any kind of family law issue. Click here to contact us online or call us at (586) 263-1600.