When the Supreme Court struck down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on June 26, the sounds of the cheers from our neighbors in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Massachusetts could be heard from across the borders. But the decision left same-sex couples living in New Jersey asking, “What about us?”
Historical New Jersey Law
The laws governing the rights of committed same-sex partners in New Jersey have undergone significant changes in recent years. In 2006, the N.J. Supreme Court, in its decision in Lewis v. Harris, acknowledged that committed same-sex couples must be afforded the same legal rights and financial benefits available to married couples. This landmark decision gave the New Jersey Legislature the opportunity to expand the then-existing Domestic Partnership Law to create rights for same-sex couples that are essentially equivalent to the rights of opposite-sex couples. This decision led to the enactment of the New Jersey Civil Union Act, which became effective on Feb. 19, 2007.
