When the United States Supreme Court ruled – quite narrowly at that, five justices to four – that same-sex marriages would be legal across all 50 states, everyone knew that it would not be met without at least a little bit of opposition. The extent of the controversy, however, has exceeded most peoples' expectations.
Feeling as if the decision is an affront to their personal religious beliefs, many county clerks are leaving their positions to avoid having to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples. As outlined in a full story by the Texas Tribune here, some of these clerks are resigning after holding the position for many years, their opposition to the ruling is so great.
Other county clerks are actually utilizing a legal loophole to avoid handing marriage licenses to same-sex couples without having to quit their jobs. The law does not necessarily say who exactly has to give them their marriage license, so clerks are passing the responsibilities up to their supervisors.
WHAT ELSE HAS HAPPENED, OTHER THAN CONTROVERSY?
An immediate consequence of the legalization of same-sex marriage is also the legalization of same-sex divorce in all states. Regardless of where they were married and where they live now, same-sex couples can choose to dissolve their marriage following the same guidelines of heterosexual married couples. Whether or not this will have further impact on family law as a whole, such as with child custody and support rights, is yet to be seen.
As Georgia was one of the 13 states that had previously chosen not to recognize same-sex marriages before the Supreme Court's ruling, it is understandable if you, as a member of a same-sex couple, do not know the full extent of your new rights. If you have any divorce issues that you would like addressed by a professional Dallas, GA family law attorney, contact Howard Law Group today. With more than 40 years of combined experience and an Avvo Client's Choice Award for Family Law in 2014, you can be sure that we will be able to resolve your troubles effectively.