June 26, 2015: Same-Sex Marriages Recognized in All States

The U.S. Supreme Court came to a momentous decision on the issue of same-sex marriages on June 26, 2015 in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. In a close 5-4 vote, it is now required that all states in the U.S. grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize them as a legal union.

According to the case syllabus, the court is declaring that the right to marry is an inherent liberty that each and every person possesses, making it a Constitutional right. This new law dictates that each state must uphold the Fourteenth Amendment by classifying both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples as able to receive civil marriages.

This ruling directly affects the 14 states who had not yet allowed this, including Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Alabama, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kentucky, Louisiana, and most of Missouri.

Within hours of this decision, county clerks were administering marriage licenses to same-sex couples in many of the states that had previously banned them.

Categories: 
Related Posts
  • What Can & Can't Be Included in Your Prenup Read More
  • 5 Reasons to Stay Away From Social Media During a Divorce Read More
  • What Happens to Property I Owned Before Marriage? Read More
/