Article On Intestacy Concerns For Same-Sex Couples

Megan Moser (J.D. Candidate 2015, Seattle University School of Law) recently published an article entitled, Intestacy concerns for same-sex couples: how variations in state law and policy affect testamentary wishes, 38 Seattle U. L. Rev. 1523-1543 (2015). Provided below is an abstract of the article:

As the number of same-sex couples increases in the United States, concerns regarding the evolution of federal and state law, with respect to rights for same-sex couples, also continue to rise. As marriage is not always available to same-sex couples, they often face very different legal issues than couples in a traditional marriage. Because marriage is typically not a legal cause of action, the question of a marriage’s validity often arises incidentally to another legal question, such as the disposition of a decedent’s estate.