A Look At The Same-Sex Marriage Law And The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), One Year Later
A few weeks ago marked the one year anniversary since the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States. This article aims to analyze changes and new laws that have arisen since this decision, discussing where the states and national laws stand in regards to same-sex marriages.
What was the DOMA ruling?
The decision regarding the DOMA law was released on June 26,2013. The decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act had some implications; however, it did not require that states recognize or allow same sex marriage. The significant portion of the DOMA ruling allowed for states that recognized same sex marriages at the time to be granted the same federal benefits as heterosexual marries couples. We posted this linked blog article on the Ohio Family Law Blog at the time of that historic decision. At the time of the ruling, there were a total of 13 states and the District of Columbia that had legalized same-sex marriage.… Read More... “DOMA: Same-Sex Marriage Rights Update”
It seemed appropriate that I should write something for the family law blog geared towards the “Birthday of America”. In the past, I liked to reflect upon the holidays and tried to find some correlation between the specific holiday and my family law practice. Not always an easy task without becoming repetitive in discussing how to celebrate the day in the aftermath of a traumatic divorce. So, as I pondered possible themes, I considered offering a bit of a twist on “Independence Day”. Or, perhaps, writing a patriotic post about America and the importance of family values. In the end, I decided to go in a different direction.
A bill introduced in August 2013 would amend domestic protection order laws to include your furry friend. The new (potential) law seeks to add “companion animal” to protective order abilities. The new bill seeks to add the language…
In Ohio, and elsewhere, you may be able to deduct the interest paid on the mortgage on your principle residence when filing your tax return. A deduction is simply the lowering of your taxable income. For example, if you make an adjusted gross income of 70,000 dollars and have paid 10,000 dollars in mortgage interest throughout the year, you’re taxable income before other deductions would be 60,000 dollars.
When I am retained by a client (Husband or Wife) who is seeking a divorce from his or her spouse, one of my initial questions is: Do you know 
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A recent survey conducted by Thomas Reuters (published by Findlaw.com) found that today more individuals prefer using the internet to find an attorney than any other method. Of the individuals surveyed, 38% preferred to use the internet as a first choice to find their next attorney. This percentage rose from 7% in 2005 to the current 38% in 2014. The second choice, asking a relative or friend, dropped from its 2005 percentage of 69% to a mere 29%.