Your Government Respects Your Marriage: Developments in New York State Agency Recognition of Same-Sex Couples' Out-of-State Marriages

Marriages of same-sex couples validly performed in other jurisdictions are accorded legal respect in New York state under longstanding principles of law. This has been confirmed by state appellate and trial courts (see, e.g., Martinez v. County of Monroe (4th Dep’t February 2008)) and Godfrey v. Spano (2d Dep’t December 2008)), by our state government and many local government entities, and by private employers and companies around New York.