Before I Do: A Legal Guide to Marriage, Gay and Otherwise

Schwartz, an attorney with expertise on the rights of LGBT individuals, assembles wide-ranging practical and legal advice for those about to embark on marriage. The author begins with a summary of the journey to secure marriage rights for the LGBT community and then embarks on a measured discussion of issues that couples should consider before tying the knot. Schwartz covers what marriage means, its alternatives, nuptial agreements, finances, estate planning, and divorce. Her clear writing features hypothetical but true-to-life examples that illustrate such topics as the tax benefits of marriage and the complications that can ensue in parental rights when a partner dies or the couple separates. Cameo essays from experts on elder law, taxation, adoption, counseling, and military benefits add meat to an already sturdy book. For example, Bridget J. Wilson, a civilian military attorney, writes of the continuing challenges for LGBT military personnel. There is an appendix of selected resources and a moving afterword by Jim Obergefell, a plaintiff in one of the cases that delivered marriage equality.