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Kan. county granting divorces to same-sex couples married in other states

Kan. county granting divorces to same-sex couples married in other states

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Same-sex couples who marry in other states won’t find many places in Kansas to divorce if the relationship fails.

Douglas County Courthouse in Lawrence, Kan.
Douglas County Courthouse in Lawrence, Kan.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports Douglas County is currently the only county in Kansas that has issued divorces for same-sex couples.

Gay rights advocates say many same-sex couples in Kansas get married in Iowa, where the marriages are legal. Iowa requires same-sex couples to live in the state for at least a year before they can divorce.

Attorney David Brown says he knows of only three same-sex divorces that have been granted in Kansas, and those all occurred in Douglas County.

Brown says at least two other counties, Shawnee and Johnson, will grant an annulment to end the marriages. Other counties find the marriage is invalid and dismiss the divorce petitions.

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