Two Women in Same-Sex Relationship Find it Difficult to get a Divorce

Two women are finding it difficult to terminate their marriage and are trying to get divorced, but may not be able to due to their unique circumstances. The two were married in 2005 in Ontario, Canada, one of the few places in the world that performs same-sex marriages. A few years later, the women decided that their marriage was not going to work and planned to separate. Now, the two are trying to get a divorce but have come up against several obstacles.

One of the women is from Florida where same-sex marriage is not recognized and the other is from the UK where only civil partnerships are legal. In order to carry forth with their plans to dissolve their marriage, they flew back to Canada and tried to finalize their divorce there. However, a federal judge ruled that granting a divorce in their case would be illegal. In the U.S., couples may face obstacles as they set out to divorce due to laws or even issues such as child custody. If you are involved in a challenging divorce, contact the Law Office of Michael Young to get help from a Riverside family lawyer who can make the process easier for you.