Historically, same-sex couples in Texas have been unable to get legally married in the state and unable to have same-sex marriages that were performed in other states legally recognized by Texas. However, a U.S. Supreme Court decision was recently made that will be bringing about some pretty big changes in same-sex family law in the state.
In the decision, the U.S. Supreme Court made legal recognition of same-sex marriages the law of the land and struck down state bans on same-sex marriages. Thus, under this ruling, which was a 5-to-4 ruling, states are required to legally recognize marriages same-sex couples received in other states and prohibited from barring same-sex couples from getting married in-state.
The ruling has triggered some events here in Texas. For one, a federal judge in the state has lifted a stay he had previously put in place on the implementation of a ruling he made last year that the state’s same-sex marriage ban was invalid. The lifting of this stay means that there is now a prohibition in place on the enforcement of the same-sex marriage ban. Thus, it appears that the same-sex marriage ban is coming to an end here in Texas.
In this time of great legal change here in Texas, it is likely that many same-sex couples in the state will have questions regarding what exactly their legal rights and options are now when it comes to family law matters. Family law attorneys can assist same-sex couples, and opposite-sex couples for that matter, with understanding what their particular legal situation is when it comes to the different family law issues they have and with addressing their particular family law matters.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “Court affirms same-sex marriage nationwide; Texas stay lifted,” Lauren McGaughy, June 26, 2015