The US Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. The same day that decision was issued, the court also dismissed an appeal aimed to uphold the California Proposition 8 ban on same sex marriage. As a result of these decisions, same-sex couples are now able to marry in California, and once married, to enjoy all of the same benefits that heterosexual couples have under federal law.
Now that the confetti has been swept up and the champagne has worn off, it's time to discuss estate planning and the estate planning benefits that same-sex couples will now be able to enjoy and some of the income tax effects of the court's decision.
