D.C. Council Passes Bill to Make Gay Divorce Easier

Divorce among gay people is not issue in many states, but in D.C. getting a divorce is now easier after the City Council passed a bill making it easier.

Tuesday the council passed a bill that would allow a gay couple to retain a divorce attorney and end their marriages even if they don’t live in the city, providing that the city in which they reside forbids divorce, according to the Huffington Post.

Under the current law, gay and lesbian couples have only been granted a divorce in D.C. if at least one member of the couple has lived in the city for at least six months before starting divorce proceedings, the Washington Post reported.

The bill will go to Mayor Vincent Gray for his signature.

Washington D.C. began issuing marriage licenses for gays and lesbians in March of 2010. Same-sex marriage is only legal in a six states, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont along with the Washington D.C. Both Maryland and Washington State have passed bills that will allow gay marriage but are likely to be held up in the legislature.

Since so few states allow same-sex marriages, the couples, who wish to retain divorce lawyer, face challenges if they marry in a state where it is legal, but live in a state that forbids it. As more states pass laws that will legalize same-sex marriage, these couples will face the same issues as straight couples and need the help of divorce attorneys to resolve those issues.