As a person who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, it is important that you understand how to set up your estate plan in a way that is beneficial to you and your partner. Many LGBTQ+ people do not choose to get married, so they may not have many of the same legal...
LGBTQ Legal Issues
LGBTQ Legal Issues
LGBTQ Legal Concerns Following the 2016 Election
We have been receiving a lot of questions from our clients and community members wondering what the recent election of Trump means to their legal rights. The answers are complex and not entirely known at this point. However, here is some of the information we can...
EEOC Rules Title VII Prohibits Sexual Orientation Discrimination
On July 15, 2015, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner (EEOC) issued a decision, in a 3-2 vote, that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act forbids sexual orientation discrimination in employment as a form of gender discrimination. This decision comes three...
Updated: SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Marriage Equality
No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners demonstrate, marriage...
Updated: Marriage Equality Arrives in Colorado
The Supreme Court of the United States denied certiorari on marriage equality appeals from several federal appellate courts, including the Tenth Circuit. Those cases involved decisions from Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin. Thus, in those states, the...
Pres. Obama Signs Executive Order Prohibiting LGBT Federal Employment Discrimination
President Obama signed an Executive Order today that amended two previous Executive Orders signed by Presidents Johnson and Nixon, respectively. Today’s Executive Order will prohibit LGBT federal employment discrimination. First, today’s Order amended Executive Order...
Tenth Circuit Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage
Today, the Tenth Circuit issued its ruling on Utah’s same-sex marriage ban, finding that the right to marry the person one chooses, regardless of the gender of that person, is a fundamental right guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States...
The Social Security and Marriage Equality Act (SAME)
Senators Udall (D-Colo) and Murray (D-Wash) have proposed the Social Security and Marriage Equality Act (SAME), which would essentially allow for the processing of Social Security spousal retirement, spousal survivorship and death benefits for same-sex spouses who are...
Social Security Changes Affecting the LGBT Community
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has made two announcements this year that affect the LGBT community. First, the SSA announced it was changing its policy with regard to the ability of transgender individuals to receive benefits through their spouses. Prior to...
Updated: Income Tax Filing Status for Same-Sex Married Couples
For Colorado same-sex couples who have been lawfully married in a state recognizing same-sex marriages, a bit of confusion initially existed this year when it came to filing income taxes, at least with regard to their state taxes. However, that confusion has now...