Family Law

Oakland Family Law Attorney explains what Senate Bill 54 means for California same-sex couples.

By Scott Sagaria

Oakland Family Law Attorney explains what Senate Bill 54 means for California same-sex couples.

Same-sex couples in California who were married in other states prior to November 5, 2008 will be afforded the legal protection of marriage, if Governor Schwarzenegger signs the bill into law. Proposition 8, a voter initiative, ended same-sex marriage in California when it was passed in November, 2008. But Senate Bill 54 allows those marriages performed prior to the passage of Proposition 8 to remain valid.

What does this mean for same-sex couples who were married before Proposition 8 passed? It means that their families can remain together, and they are still afforded the legal protection of marriage despite the ban on same-sex marriage in California.

While this may seem confusing at first, for estate planning and family law purposes, this gives couples married in states where same-sex marriage is legal, the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples including the end-of-life and inheritance law benefits that married couples enjoy.

Here at Sagaria Law, we offer a full range of family law and legal services including divorce, paternity, adoption, child custody and visitation matters, child support, spousal support, alimony, juvenile dependency, domestic violence, division of property, grandparent visitation and custody, etc. We have seven Northern California locations including San Jose, San Francisco, Redwood City, Fremont, Salinas, Roseville and Sacramento. We offer a free thirty minute consultation, either in person at any of our offices, or over the phone. Call our offices today and we can connect you with an attorney immediately or we can schedule your free consultation with one of our family law attorneys : (408) 279-2288 or (800) 941-6730 or visit www.sagarialaw.com.

Full post as published by California Family Law Blog on September 24, 2009 (boomark / email).