Cozen O’Connor, P.C. v. Tobits

by Maxie Bee | Sep 18, 2003 | Defense of Marriage Act, gay partner benefits, LGBT partners, designated beneficiaries, civil unions, Jennifer Tobits, same-sex couples

Jennifer Tobits and Sarah Ellyn Farley married in Toronto in 2006. Two weeks after their wedding, Ellyn was diagnosed with cancer. The Chicago couple fought the disease together for their entire marriage, until Ellyn passed away in September 2010. Because Ellyn’s parents had never accepted her marriage to Jennifer, they feared that Ellyn’s parents would make legal claims to their property and generally attack Jennifer’s status as Ellyn’s spouse. Shortly after...

More