As thousands of gay and lesbian couples are planning weddings in states such as New York, Massachusetts, Iowa and a few others, where their hard-fought right to marry has been secured, others around the nation are fighting for the right to divorce. And in this case, Gay Divorce isn’t as light-hearted as the Cole Porter musical!
Since most states, and the federal government, don’t recognize gay marriages, many same-sex couples are left with no way to officially split. Many same-sex couples are discovering that without access to family court, it becomes almost impossible to divide joint assets and decide custody issues.
Another difficult issue in gay divorce is the length of a marriage. Courts divide property very differently when a couple has been together two years as opposed to 20. But if a couple has been together for a decade before gay marriage was legal, how many years should count?
While mediation can’t grant gay or lesbian couples a divorce, it can help with issues of property and asset division. Mediation Around The Table specializes in a variety of relationship ending mediation services including assisting gay and lesbian couples. Our parenting plan worksheets recognize that the children may have two fathers or two mothers and our mediators are well trained on how to approach the unique circumstances that gay and lesbian couples may be experiencing.
