First same-sex divorce sought in Schuylkill County

[rug]

May 24, 2014
by peter e. bortner

With same-sex marriage comes same-sex divorce, and a Butler Township man filed what might be the state's first such case Friday in Schuylkill County Court.

The lawsuit by Robin J. Fetterolf, Ashland area, against Jose A. Fetterolf, Conyngham, certainly is the first filed in Schuylkill County, a spokeswoman for the prothonotary's office said.

"The marriage is irretrievably broken," Robin Fetterolf alleged of the union that he and Jose Fetterolf began on Oct. 6, 2009, in Burlington, Vermont.

Robin Fetterolf filed his lawsuit the same week U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, a Pottsville lawyer whose chambers are in Harrisburg, ruled Pennsylvania's statute banning same-sex marriages is unconstitutional, although Friday's lawsuit would not necessarily have been barred even before that decision.

http://republicanherald.com/news/first-same-sex-divorce-sought-in-schuylkill-county-1.1691858

[SheilaT]

1. Of course.

Marriages don't always last. Unfortunately.

We need to have gender neutral language for marriage and divorce so that both of these can happen as they need to.

[rug]

2. There were some articles about the inability of people married elsewhere to divorce.

This couple was married in Vermont 8 years ago and were unable to divorce in Pennsylvania until same sex marriage was recognized.

The legal implications of being unable to divorce are as broad as the legal implications of being unable to marry.

[malthaussen]

3. Texas solved that by granting the divorce anyway.

There was a thread in DU last week sometime about it.

-- Mal

[rug]

4. Really? That's an interesting development.

[malthaussen]

5. Naturally I can't find the thread now...

It was in the courts for multiple years, but they finally went ahead and granted the divorce, even though they don't recognize the marriage.

-- Mal