What to Do Before You Say, “I Do”
Local greeting card stores are having a hard time keeping “Congratulations on Your Civil Union” cards in stock, as same-sex couples rush to take advantage of Delaware’s new civil unions law to make their relationships legal in the First State. In fact, 138 civil union licenses were issued in Delaware during the month of January 2012 alone, more than twice the number government officials anticipated. However, greeting cards are not the most important papers associated with the happy occasion. How does a civil union impact a same-sex couple’s fiscal and legal paperwork? An upcoming workshop at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center will address that very question.
Civil Unions: What to Do Before You Say I Do is the first of a series of workshops to be presented by the CAMP Rehoboth Program Committee during 2012. This workshop is being held on Monday, April 23, 2012, beginning at 7 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m. The workshop will held in the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center at 37 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
“We are excited to kick off our workshop series with this presentation on civil unions,” says Program Committee chair Glen Pruitt. “Civil unions have great meaning. They allow gay and lesbian couples to affirm their relationships in a new way to their families and friends. However, civil unions have great meaning legally and financially, too. The Program Committee hopes that this workshop will help our community members to sort out some of those issues.”
The workshop will begin with a sixty-minute presentation by George (Buck) Smith, Esq. and Ellen J. Feinberg, Esq., from the local legal firm of Smith, Feinberg, McCartney & Berl LLP. Mr. Smith is an attorney with 30 years of experience in tax and estate planning, and he is well versed in the sophisticated estate planning techniques that can be of value to same-sex couples. Ms. Feinberg also has 30 years of experience in the legal profession. She is a member of CAMP Rehoboth and the CAMP Rehoboth Founders Circle, and for several years she served as legal counsel to the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors. A significant portion of her practice addresses issues pertinent to the LGBT community, including wills, powers of attorneys, and titling of real estate.
The last 30 minutes of the workshop provides time for participants to ask questions from the floor. The Program Committee will also be sharing news about the rest of the workshop series.
“Our guests at this first workshop will be among the first to hear about the topics and dates of upcoming workshops,” adds Pruitt. “So come out and join us on April 23 and be in the know!”
Seating at the workshop will be available on a first-come, first served basis. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the workshop will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
The CAMP Rehoboth Community Center is located at 37 Baltimore Avenue. Call 302-227-5620 for more information.