After DOMA: What It Means For You

"After DOMA: What it Means For You" LGBT Organizations Fact Sheet Series details many of the ways federal agencies accord legal respect to married same-sex couples. The guide includes 14 factsheets on the following topics: Bankruptcy, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Federal Employee Benefits, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Immigration, Medicaid, Medicare, Military Spousal Benefits, Private Employment Benefits, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Taxes, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Veteran Spousal Benefits.

There are more than 1,100 places in federal law where a protection or responsibility is based on marital status. The ruling striking down DOMA will not be effective until 25 days from the decision, but even when effective, federal agencies—large bureaucracies—may need and take some time to change forms, implement procedures, train personnel, and efficiently incorporate same-sex couples into the spousal-based system. Until same-sex couples can marry in every state in the nation, there will be uncertainty about the extent to which same-sex spouses will receive federal marital-based protections nationwide. For federal programs that assess marital status based on the law of a state that does not respect marriages of same-sex couples, those state laws will likely pose obstacles for legally married couples and surviving spouses in accessing federal protections and responsibilities.

The fact sheet series was produced together by: American Civil Liberties Union, Center for American Progress, Family Equality Council, Freedom to Marry, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Human Rights Campaign, Immigration Equality, Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and OutServe-SLDN.

FACT SHEETS
After DOMA: What It Means For You - General Summary [General Summary (en Español)]

• Bankruptcy
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Federal Employee Benefits
• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Immigration
  • Immigration (en Español)
• Medicaid
  • Medicaid (en Español)
• Medicare
• Military Spousal Benefits
• Private Employment Benefits
  • Private Employment Benefits (en Español)
• Social Security
  • Social Security (en Español)
• Supplemental Security Income
• Taxes
  • Taxes (en Español)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (en Español)
• Veteran Spousal Benefits

Implementation of federal rights, benefits, and protections will vary from state to state and on an individual basis. We encourage you to consult a legal or tax professional to determine the best next steps you can take. These resources are intended to provide an educational overview, not to serve as legal advice or a guide for making personal financial decisions.