The LGBT community has faced a difficult journey towards legalizing same-sex marriages in the United States. In United States v. Windsor (June, 2013), the Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which had defined marriage as “a union between one man and one woman.” This landmark case required the federal government to recognize the legal validity of same-sex marriages.

Then, about two years later, in June of 2015, the subject was revisited in Obergefell v. Hodges. This is where the Supreme Court ruled that states could no longer ban same-sex marriages, determining that to do so was unconstitutional. We have certainly come a long way.

It was this second ruling that resulted in a record breaking number of same-sex marriages. Sadly, many of these marriages don’t survive, just as many heterosexual marriages do not. This why it’s so important to plan ahead and work with an attorney who has your best interests in mind. You don’t want to deal with anyone who might have personal prejudices against your right to marry. Those who wish to marry, of any gender and sexual orientation, need to protect their assets and work with a caring, compassionate LGBT family law attorney.