California Assembly passes gay divorce bill

California Assembly passes gay divorce bill

05.06.2010 3:49pm EDT

A press release from Equality California, below. This is a really good idea – gay people who get married in states where it’s legal have had a hard time getting divorced in other states.

Sacramento— Today the California State Assembly passed the Separation Equity Act (AB 2700) in a 44-21 vote. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California and the Conference of California Bar Associations, would create a consolidated form and procedure to dissolve both a civil marriage and domestic partnership.

“Currently, couples must navigate a confusing system that is especially daunting for those who lack legal representation,” said Geoff Kors, Equality California executive director. “Since the State of California treats the relationships of same-sex couples differently, we need this legislation to prevent couples from having to jump through bureaucratic hoops until we restore a system of fairness and equality.”

AB 2700 would amend the state’s family code, allowing for couples who first registered as domestic partners and who legally married thereafter, to dissolve both contracts through a single, uniform procedure. The current system forces couples to go through a separate process for each.

“AB 2700 brings us a step closer towards marriage equality by recognizing that ALL marriages are treated alike, even when it comes to dissolving marriages,” Assemblymember Ma said

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