Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA

This week, in a 5-4 ruling, the case of United States v. Windsor, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a provision of the 17-year-old Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.  DOMA had previously denied federal benefits, such as Social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits, family medical leave, and the ability to file joint income tax returns, to same-sex couples who are legally married.  This ruling will have a huge impact on more than 130,000 same-sex married couples, especially as it applies to income tax planning and estate and gift tax planning.  Follow our blog for additional information to come!