United States Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same-sex Marriages

June 26^th, 2015 will go into America’s history books as the day that the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. The decision came about due to a narrow-as-can-be ruling of five justices against four. The votes are actually representative, more or less, to the rest of the country, as an estimated 60% of Americans either support or do not oppose legal same-sex marriages.

For the other 40%, however, the decision is rife with controversy and possible affronts to their beliefs. Some people have stated that religious freedoms are being ignored in favor of civil freedoms, and that it is not right to lower one to raise the other. Certain politicians who stand against the decision are already vowing to do whatever they can to fight the verdict or, at the very least, challenge its validity in their own home states.

People Are Celebrating the Right to Divorce for Once

Regardless of the controversy surrounding same-sex marriages, many same-sex couples are actually celebrating an additional newfound right: the right to divorce in any state. Before the ruling took effect, same-sex couples could not dissolve their marriage if they lived in a state that did not officially recognize their union. This meant that they could effectively become locked into a marriage that neither spouse wanted to continue. That has all changed, however, and some same-sex couples are already exercising this newly granted freedom.

Another issue that is on the sidelines of the Supreme Court’s ruling is what could happen to other aspects of family law. Will child custody rights and regulations stay the same in a same-sex relationship? Will the area of law pertaining to fathers’ rights drastically change? Lawmakers will have to come to those decisions in the weeks and months to come.

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding your newfound rights as a person in a same-sex relationship in Iowa, you can get the help you need today. When you contact a Mason City family law attorney from McGuire Law, PLC, you will be working with a professional that has accrued more than 40 years of experience. Schedule your free case evaluation with us today.