Incidents of Marriage

Current Cases

AkCLU v. Alaska, Supreme Court Case No. S-10459 (Ak.) (seeking spousal benefits for unmarried same-sex partners despite constitutional amendment defining marriage as a male-female union)

Snetsinger v. Board of Regents, Supreme Court Case No. 03-238 (Mont.) (seeking spousal benefits for domestic partners of state university employees based upon a state constitutional claim)

 

Definition of "Spouse"

M. v. H. 
[1999] 2 S.C.R. 3 (Supreme Court of Canada)

Divorce

DeSanto v. Barnsley, 476 A.2d 952 (Pa. Super. 1984) (same-sex couple cannot divorce as they are not legally married)

 

Employee Benefits

Cornell v. Hamilton, 2003 WL 21525311 (Ind. App., July 8, 2003) (rejecting equal protection claim seeking recognition of domestic partner as "spouse" under state employee bereavement leave policy)

Tanner v. OHSU, 971 P.2d 435 (Or. Ct. App. 1998) (finding Oregon Constitution to require state employers to treat domestic partners equally with married couples).

Ross v. Denver Dep’t of Health & Human Services, 883 P.2d 516 (Colo. App. 1994) (rejecting equal protection and due process challenge to denial of health insurance coverage for same-sex partner of employee)

Rutgers Council v. Rutgers, 689 A.2d 828 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 1997), cert. denied, 707 A.2d 151 (1998) (same-sex partner not “spouse” for purposes of health insurance law and contract).

Grant v. Southwest Trains Ltd.
1998 ECR I-621 (European Court of Justice)

 

Immigration

Adams v. Howerton, 486 F.Supp. 1119 (C.D. Cal. 1980), aff’d 673 F.2d 1039 (9th Cir.), cert denied, 458 U.S. 1111 (1982) (same-sex partner not “spouse” for purposes of federal immigration law).

National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v. 
Minister of Home Affairs
1999 (3) BCLR 280 (C) (S. African Const. Ct.)

 

Inheritance

In re Cooper, 592 N.Y.S.2d 797 (App. Div. 1993), appeal dismissed 604 N.Y.S.2d 979 (1993) (surviving homosexual partner not “surviving spouse” for purposes of election against decedent’s will).

Vasquez v. Hawthorne, 33 P.3d 735 (Wash. 2001) (remanding claim for same-sex intestacy rights under “meretricious relationship” doctrine).

 

 

Miscellaneous

Braschi v. Stahl Assocs. Co, 544 N.Y.S.2d 784 (Ct. of Apps. 1989)

ACLU v. Alaska, Case No. 3AN-00-11179 CIV (Ak. Super. Ct., Nov. 16, 2001) (denying constitutional challenge to policy denying marital benefits to same-sex partners).

Levin v. Yeshiva, 754 N.E.2d 1099 (N.Y. 2001) (finding university housing policy distinguishing between married and unmarried couples to constitute sexual orientation discrimination in violation of city human rights ordinance).

 

 

Name Change

In re Bicknell, 771 N.E.2d 846 (Oh. 2002)

Granting change of last name to unmarried same-sex couple.

In re Bacharach, 780 A.2d 579 (N.J. Super. A.D. 2001)

Reversing trial court denial of name change to lesbian woman on grounds that it would suggest a same-sex “marriage.”

 

Tax Status

Prop. 22 LDEF v. Cal. State Bd. of Equalization, No. ________ (Sacramento County Super. Ct., Sept. __, 2001) (reversing equalization board decision granting “head of household” tax status to families based on same-sex couples).

 

Wrongful Death

Smith v. Knoller, No. 319532 (San Francisco County Super. Ct.) (order denying motion to dismiss entered August 9, 2001).

 

 

 

 

 

In re Bicknell,
771 N.E.2d 846 (Oh. 2002)

Ohio Court of Appeals

Opinion
Cite as: 2001 Ohio App. LEXIS 650 (Ohio Ct. of App. 12 Dist. 2000)

Ohio Supreme Court

Appellants' Merit Brief (3.40 MB)
Supplement to Appellants' Merit Brief (955KB)
American Family Association Amicus Brief (481KB)
Appellants' Reply Brief (209KB)

Lambda Amicus Brief (Jan. 10, 2002) (1.67 MB)
ACLU Amicus Brief (Jan. 10, 2002) (1.83 MB)