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DOMA Ruling Gives Supporters of Marriage Equality in Illinois Hope
According to The Chicago Sun-Times, on June 26, the United States Supreme Court struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on a majority vote of 5-4, allowing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages sanctioned by the states.
Gay and lesbian rights supporters in Illinois celebrated the decision. Around 500 people gathered in Boystown for a victory rally. Many celebrants waved rainbow flags and businesses donned banners in support of the decision. Speakers took to the stage and expressed their joy and also their frustration with the shortfalls of the ruling. Gay couples are now eligible for the federal benefits they were denied through DOMA; however, the battle for marriage equality has not ended for supporters.
Illinois Same-Sex Marriage Bill Clears House Committee
In a six-to-five vote, a bill that would make same-sex marriages legal in the state of Illinois cleared the House Executive Committee just before 10:00 p.m. February 26th, 2013. As reported by The Chicago Tribune, the bill now will move on to the full House. There the bill is expected to undergo its toughest test. Representative Greg Harris, a democrat from Chicago who is sponsoring the same-sex marriage bill, says the bill is needed because the status of those who are in civil unions often goes misunderstood. His belief is that all Illinois families should be treated equally under Illinois law.
If the bill passes the House, Illinois governor Pat Quinn has vowed to sign it into law. Illinois would become the tenth state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriages. The bill was passed in the Senate on Valentine’s Day. Less than two years have passed since the first civil union certificates were issued by the state.
Count and Evaluate Your Assets Before Beginning the Illinois Divorce Process
This is the second part of a three-part series on our blog that talks about Illinois divorce and your financial future. In the first part, we discussed why it is essential to review your credit report, which can help you determine what financial decisions will be the best in the long run. In part two, we will discuss steps to take before dividing marital assets.
Establishing the real worth of marital assets is not as simple as most people believe. However, a recent article on DailyFinance.com recommends several steps you can take to help make the process easier.
Could Facebook Jeopardize Your Marriage or Divorce?
It would seem as though we have reached the point of no return when it comes to the prevalent use of and reliance on social media sites like Facebook. But can these sites potentially jeopardize your marriage or even the outcome of your divorce? According to a recent Huffington Post article, the answer is yes.
According to Divorce Online’s Managing Director, 20 percent of all the petitions his company filed over the last several years had references to Facebook activity as the reason for why a married couple decided to split. It is suspected that the element of anonymity on these types of websites cause users to be bolder and say or do things they may not typically do if they were offline.
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