Tulsa Law Review Volume 40 Issue 3 The Legislative Backlash to Advances in Rights for Same-Sex Couples Spring 2005 Essential Estate Planning for the Constitutionally Unrecognized Families in Oklahoma: Same-Sex Couples Camille M. Quinn Shawna S. Baker Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/tlr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Camille M. Quinn, & Shawna S. Baker, Essential Estate Planning for the Constitutionally Unrecognized Families in Oklahoma: Same-Sex Couples, 40 Tulsa L. Rev. 479 (2013). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.utulsa.edu/tlr/vol40/iss3/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by TU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Tulsa Law Review by an authorized editor of TU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Quinn and Baker: Essential Estate Planning for the Constitutionally Unrecognized F ESSENTIAL ESTATE PLANNING FOR THE CONSTITUTIONALLY UNRECOGNIZED FAMILIES IN OKLAHOMA: SAME-SEX COUPLES Camille M. Quinn and Shawna S. Baker* I. INTRODUCTION Same-sex couples in America face dilemmas and issues unlike those of heterosexual couples. Estate planning attorneys must become acutely astute in the recognition of substantive issues, the establishment of rapport with gay clients, and the acquisition of a working knowledge of appropriate instruments that provide specific protections for same-sex partners and their families. Throughout this article, the legal hardships confronting same-sex couples in the arena of estate planning will be contrasted with the legal rights enjoyed by and afforded to those who are legally entitled to marry under the laws of the state of Oklahoma.1 Because this article only begins to touch the surface of the estate planning hardships facing same-sex couples, it is imperative that attorneys understand that the risks inherent in undertaking representation of same-sex couples far exceed those found in typical estate planning scenarios for legally married couples.