Last week, the State of New York passed same-sex marriage legislation; from July 24th 2011, same-sex couples will enjoy the same rights as those in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. In Canada, all Provinces and Territories recognize same-sex marriage under the 2005 Civil Marriage Act which defines marriage as “”the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others”. In the UK same-sex couples can be joined in a “Civil union” or “registered partnership”.
Why is this of interest to the legalwills blog? well, the most significant implication is for those who choose not to write a Will. There were many cases in the past of a person dying intestate (without a Will) having lived for decades with a life partner. The law used to say that only married partners could have a claim on the estate, and until recently, same-sex couples had no claim (common-law partners still have no claim in most jurisdictions). The “civil union” in the UK and other same-sex marriage legislation gives rights to survivors when no Will has been written. Of course, at LegalWills we would have just advised everybody to write a Will in 30 minutes and save their surviving partner the anguish, but sadly, in many cases people procrastinate when it comes to putting their estate planning affairs in order.
But same-sex marriage legislation also provides some rights for partners who have been left out of a Will. In most jurisdictions it is not possible to completely disinherit one’s spouse, and this now extends to same-sex relationships where applicable.
There are also clear implications for same-sex couples with children. In a Last Will and Testament a guardian for the care of minor children is named, but this only comes into effect when both parents are unable to provide care. With same-sex marriage the parental rights can now extend to both parents.
The recognition of civil unions also has implications for Powers of Attorney and Living Will forms – if you are ever unable to speak for yourself, for example, if you were in a coma. One’s married partner is usually the first point of contact for physicians who need to consult with a family member on important healthcare decisions.
The law is still quite varied across different jurisdictions and the discussion is probably worthy of a Masters thesis rather than a blog post. However, many basic rules still apply for same-sex couples;
- Make sure that you have a Will, Power of Attorney and Living Will in place.
- If you planning to disinherit your married partner; seek legal advice as the wishes that you have outlined in your Will may not be enforceable.
- If you do get married or divorced, make sure that you update all of your estate planning documents. Marriage typically revokes (cancels) any existing Will.
This is a very rapidly changing legal landscape, and so if you read this in a few months, it may be out of date. If you have any comments to add, please feel free. I am happy to provide any clarifications or corrections.
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