Harriet Newman Cohen, Bonnie E. Rabin and Tim James of Cohen Rabin Stine Schumann write: Although New York courts and executive branch officials repeatedly gave effect to same-sex marriages performed in jurisdictions where they were legal before the legislature sanctioned the performance of such marriages in New York, the federal government and most states have enacted legislation denying recognition to same-sex marriages, greatly complicating the legal landscape for same-sex married couples.
Arlene G. Dubin, a partner at Moses & Singer, writes that many people think of cohabitation agreements as the same as prenuptial agreements, but without the “nup.” But there are important distinctions: living together agreements have no specific statutory requirements and are governed by contract principles; and there are potential tax issues not presented by prenups.
