Family Law

California Gay Marriage Primer

By Christopher Vaughn-Martel

• Online LGBTQ magazine EdgeBoston has posted a very brief Q & A on the practical details of gay marriage in California: "Cali Gay Marriage 101". For example, "QUESTION: What?s required [to get married]? ANSWER: All that?s required of straight couples: A valid ID proving you?re both 18 or older. Most counties accept walk-ins, but appointments get speedier service.And the cost? In Sacramento County, for example, it?s $77 for a marriage license; $86 for a ceremony."
  
• A June 13, 2008, Lost Angeles Times article outlines in greater detail some of the logistic and practical questions facting clerks, advocates, and those seeking to obtain a same-sex marriage in California, including whether same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts, Canada, or Spain will be automatically recognized by California on June 17, 2008.
  
• The California Department of Public Health website has published updated Marriage License Information, including an update which includes updated marriage forms, and an open letter of instruction to all the county clerks and recorders.
  
• The website WeddingVendords.com is posting updated information on same-sex marriage in California, including the cost of a license, residency requirements, change-of-name information, as well as a directory listing the addresses and telephone numbers of each of the county clerks in California.


• About.com has posted an article with more information on applying for a marriage license in the state of California.

To all those who plan to take advantage of marriage equality in California when it becomes legal on June 17, 2008, and the countless others who may choose to do so in the future, congratulations!

Full post as published by Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Legal Briefs on June 14, 2008 (boomark / email).