Same-Sex Marriage: A Checklist for Plan Sponsors

Scott Schneider’s article “Same-Sex Marriage: A Checklist for Plan Sponsors” was featured in Employee Benefit News on August 21, 2015.

Lawyers get paid to pay attention to Supreme Court decisions. Occasionally, though, there are cases involving hot-button issues that even the general public takes a keen interest in. The Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges clearly qualifies.

In that case, the Court held that the 14th Amendment requires states to license marriages between same-sex couples and to recognize a same-sex marriage when the marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state.

While the social consequences of this decision are significant, the impact on employers is minimal and means paperwork. As discussed briefly below, the decision will primarily affect the administration of benefits and almost exclusively for employers in those states that previously did not recognize same-sex marriage.

In the article, Scott examines how the Supreme Court's ruling will impact health & welfare and retirement plans administration.

To read the full article, please visit EBN.