In my presentation to the South Carolina Bar on September 27, 2016, I will be discussing how civil unions are affected by the marriage equality ruling granting same sex marriage to all U.S. citizens. A civil union is a legal status created by the state of Vermont in 2000 and subsequently by the states of […]
Friday, June 26, 2015 will go down as a landmark day in U.S. legal history. The long, anguishing wait over the constitutionality of gay marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges) finally ended, with a 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The close, but decisive, victory upholds the sanctity and recognition of gay marriage—it is now, finally, […]
As of this moment in time—and for the 2014 tax year—same sex marriage is legal in South Carolina. So whether you filed by the April 15 deadline, or whether you are filing for an extension, same sex couples may file jointly as married, both federally and statewide. For couples that have obtained a civil union or […]
For most people tax season ends on April 15, as individual tax returns are due to the federal government. It’s been this way ever since 1955. For a good many other folks, however, tax season can last much longer, as individuals scramble to file extensions. One particular area of importance, and potential confusion, revolves around […]
Dire ramifications for South Carolina—and the nation There is a lot at stake in the case of DeBoer v. Snyder, a lawsuit originally filed by a lesbian couple on January 23, 2012 in Federal District Court challenging Michigan’s ban on same sex marriage. A ruling on March 21, 2014 in Federal District Court overturned the ban, but the Sixth […]
DOMA fight goes to South Carolina MSNBC
COLUMBIA, SC — A federal judge is undecided on whether to hear arguments in person from attorneys representing S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Alan Wilson as well as lawyers representing a married Lexington County same sex couple. Judge Michelle Childs said Tuesday she will decide later, most likely in November, whether she will […]
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson continued to defend the state’s ban on same sex marriage Monday, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to address lower court rulings declaring such unions a constitutional right. WASHINGTON – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson continued to defend the state’s ban on same sex marriage Monday, despite the […]
All across the country we are seeing a significant change in the tide concerning the ban on gay marriage. Almost every other day, we hear of another state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage has been overturned. At this time, 14 states have seen their constitutional bans on gay marriage overturned since the United States Supreme […]
