On June 26, 2015, in the landmark decision of Obergefell v Hodges, the US Supreme Court legalized “gay” marriage as a protected right under the US Constitution. It seems that since the Obergefell decision, the war on LGBT – or, as many of us like to think of it, human rights – is alive and […]
Michigan is a pro-marriage state. Public policy favors marriage between domestic partners and our laws reflect that favoritism. Indeed, Michigan does not recognize what is referred to as “common law marriage.” Over my career as a family law lawyer, I have had many potential clients query me about their “rights” when dissolving their live-in relationship […]
common law marriage, equitable property division, meritricious relationshipHaving grown up during the era of civil rights protest for racial equality, I see alarming parallels to the current battle for same-sex marriage equality. And, just as the landmark US Supreme Court case of Brown v Board of Education, which mandated school integration, did not result in immediate and peaceful attaining of its goal, […]
