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Michigan Still Not Done With Same-Sex Marriage Issues

On Behalf of | Sep 11, 2015 | Uncategorized |

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on same-sex marriage, there’s no doubt that more and more gay and lesbian couples will begin to get married throughout the country, including right here in Michigan. For many same-sex couples the Supreme Court ruling puts an end to a long wait to walk down the aisle. However, while same-sex couples are celebrating their victory, there are still many legal issues that are bound to arise as a result of the High Court’s ruling. The state of Michigan will be no exception, as there are still several items that need to be addressed regarding same-sex marriage and same-sex families.

Michigan has 199 state laws that deal with marriage. There are 149 laws that use the term “husband” and 132 that include the term “wife.” That means all of those laws will need to be reviewed now that the Supreme Court has issued its ruling. The Michigan Law Revision Commission will have a lot of work to do. As the Commission reviews these laws they will need to look at these seemingly small details and make recommendations, such as changing some of the common gender terminology that may not apply now that same-sex marriage is legal.

For years the standard has been husband and wife when it comes to referring to marriages. Obviously, that will now change with gay marriage becoming legal and more common. Another piece of legislation that has been proposed by conservatives in Michigan would prevent judges and clerks from performing marriage ceremonies. That proposal would only allow religious clergy to perform these ceremonies. Those couples that don’t want to use clergy to get married could obtain an affidavit of marriage and present it to county clerks. In addition, the proposed bill would also allow couples to keep their marriage certificates protected from public record laws.

These are just a few of the issues that will still need to be reviewed and resolved over the coming months and years. Of course, there will likely be other family law-related matters that arise as well. That means same-sex couples will need the help of an experienced Michigan family law attorney who has been handling these kinds of legal matters for decades. The Law Offices of Michael A. Robbins respects all couples and families and we can help you with any kind of family legal matter that can come up. Please contact us today in Michigan if you need help with divorce or any other family legal issue. Just click here to contact us online, or give us a call at 248-646-7980.

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