In the approximately three-and-a-half years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, many same-sex couples have used the Supreme Court’s proclamation of equal rights to bring their marriages to an end in Texas. While gay and lesbian couples continue to face some unique challenges, when it comes to getting divorced, the core legal principles apply equally to spouses seeking to end same-sex and opposite-sex marriages. If you are thinking about filing for a same-sex divorce in Texas in 2019, here is a list of the key legal issues you will need to consider:

Although same-sex couples now have full marriage equality in the United States under the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, from a practical perspective, gay and lesbian couples can still face some undesirable challenges when it comes to having their relationships acknowledged and respected in Texas and other parts of the country. This makes it particularly important for same-sex spouses to thoughtfully prepare comprehensive estate plans. A comprehensive estate plan will address much more than the distribution of a person’s property after death, and will provide clear and unambiguous direction for limiting court involvement to the greatest extent possible.