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Rhode
Island Couple Switches Courts in Divorce Filing

Rhode
Island Couple Switches Courts in Divorce Filing

A Rhode Island divorce case involving two women who were married in Massachusetts was filed in the state's superior court, a tactical move to skirt a roadblock caused by a recent Rhode Island supreme court decision.

A Rhode Island divorce case involving two women who were married in Massachusetts was filed in the state's superior court, a tactical move to skirt a roadblock caused by a recent Rhode Island supreme court decision.

Margaret Chambers filed the motion Thursday, a week after the Rhode Island supreme court ruled that the couple's divorce case could not proceed to family court. In a 3-2 decision, the court ruled that the state's family court was not set up to dissolve same-sex marriages.

Louis Pulner, Chambers's attorney, said he decided to file for divorce in superior court because it has broader power than family court. If the case is not heard, one of the women could be forced to move to Massachusetts to seek a divorce, which neither of the parties is willing to do.

Chambers married Cassandra Ormiston three years ago following Massachusetts's legalization of same-sex marriage. The women filed for divorce in Rhode Island where they live, citing irreconcilable differences, the AP reported. While Rhode Island does not have same-sex marriage, it does recognize same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts. (The Advocate)

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