It’s been a couple of years since same sex marriage was legalized. You had to know at that time that next would come same sex divorce. However the divorce may be more complicated than traditional divorce. Refer CNBC 10 Nov 207.

Same-sex divorce poses complications for some splitting couples

•The legal date of a same-sex marriage might not accurately reflect how long the relationship has lasted.
•In some cases, parental rights are not clear-cut.
•Mediation, which tends to be less costly and more flexible, can be a better option than litigating a divorce.
From divvying up assets to asserting parental rights, the details of divorce that can be more clear-cut with heterosexual marriages are creating complications for same-sex couples.

“The reality for many same-sex couples who are divorcing is that they had relationships in place prior to the marriage — some for many, many years,” said Joyce Kauffman, principal of Kauffman Law & Mediation in Roslindale, Massachusetts. “The courts have broad discretion in these matters, and that discretion can go in your favor or not.”
The 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges meant that all 50 states — 13 of which still banned same-sex marriages — would be required to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry within their own borders and acknowledge marriages that originated in other states.

The landmark ruling also delivered marital legal protections afforded to heterosexual marriages, including rights related to medical decisions, certain tax benefits and access to employee benefits.

Divorce is more complicated. There are federal regulations that play a role, most of which are tax-related — i.e., the current deductibility of alimony payments and the untaxed transfer of certain retirement assets. But much of how divorce is handled happens at the state level.

The biggest sticking point often relates to when the marriage began, which can dictate how assets are divided and whether a spouse receives alimony (also known as spousal support). Generally, the longer any marriage has lasted, the more weight it carries when judges are determining how to award a lower-earning or no-earning spouse a percentage of assets and/or alimony.

Ty Zdravko practices law as a divorce attorney, and family law attorney in Palm Harbor, Clearwater and the surrounding area.

For more information, visit our website at www.divorceboardcertified.com
or call (727) 787-5919.