Art Leonard Observations
Art Leonard Observations
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Dr. Jane Blumenthal

Illinois Supreme Court Rejects Equitable Distribution Rights in Breakup of Lesbian Couple

August 21, 2016

Reversing a ruling by the state’s court of appeals, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on August 18 that the state’s statutory prohibition of common law marriage, enacted a century ago, still “precludes unmarried cohabitants [including same-sex couples] from bringing claims against one another to enforce mutual property rights where the rights asserted are rooted in a marriage-like relationship between the parties.” Although two different panels of the state’s intermediate court of appeals have rejected this … <Read More>

Categories: Legal Issues, Uncategorized
Tags: American Civil Liberties Union, Blumenthal v. Brewer, common law marriage, Dr. Jane Blumenthal, equitable distribution, Illinois Supreme Court, Judge Eileen Brewer, Justice Lloyd Karmeier, Justice Mary Jane Theis, Lambda Legal, marital-like relationships, Nancy Polikoff, National Center for Lesbian Rights, unmarried cohabiting couples

News and commentary on law and current events, with a focus on sexuality and the law, as well as the arts by NYLS Professor Arthur Leonard.


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About the Author

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Arthur S. Leonard, a professor at New York Law School since 1982, edits the monthly newsletter Lesbian/Gay Law Notes, and is co-author of Sexuality Law (Carolina Academic Press) and AIDS Law in a Nutshell (West Publishing Co.). He writes on legal issues for Gay City News (New York), and serves as a trustee of the Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services of New York.


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Recent Posts

  • Two Federal Trial Judges in Texas Express Diametrically Opposed Views on First Amendment Protection for Drag Shows
  • Federal Court Finds City of East Lansing Violated Free Exercise Right of Farmer Excluded from City’s Farmer Market Because His Wedding Rental Business Excludes Same-Sex Couples
  • Federal Appeals Court Approves Preliminary Injunction Blocking Idaho Ban on Trans Women Participating in Women’s Sports
  • Appeals Court Vacates Preliminary Injunction Against Alabama’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
  • Michigan Supreme Court Extends Equitable-Parent Doctrine to Same-Sex Couples

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