Janis Cowhey, Tax & Business Services Partner, Quoted in Forbes.com Article "Feds Work Overtime To Fill Gaps Left By DOMA Ruling"

Excerpt:

As the July 4 holiday approaches, the Supreme Court justices can enjoy these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Meanwhile, they have given armies of lawyers, accountants, gay rights advocates and bureaucrats reason to work overtime.

The problem stems from the Court’s June 26 decision in United States v.Windsor, which overturned a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA that defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and spouses as heterosexual. In the 5-4 decision the Court gave same-sex married couples access to the full range of benefits that are available to heterosexual spouses under some 1,000 federal laws and regulations, including those related to: Social Security, housing, taxes, criminal sanctions, copyright, and veterans’ benefits.

A tougher road may lie ahead with Social Security benefits, says Janis Cowhey McDonagh, a lawyer with Marcum, the accounting firm in New York. “If someone is denied these benefits, that’s the next lawsuit.”