Bio And Disclaimer

My name is Stephen. I'm an attorney living in Florida and law is a second career for me, having gone into the practice after a lengthy career as a software engineer and technical trainer. I'm currently admitted to practice in New York and Texas. I have also practiced in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 1996, I earned my JD from South Texas College of Law — Houston, received a certificate in estate planning from Temple University Beasley School of Law — Graduate Tax Program in 2007 and studied estate planning at Cornell Law School.

I live with Richard, my partner of more than 30 years. We married in Vancouver, Canada in 2007 after previously registering as domestic partners in New Jersey. We are both out with our families, friends and neighbors, and have three wonderful college-aged grandchildren.

In 2004, following passage of the NJ Domestic Partnership Act, I wrote the first legal guide for New Jersey's same-sex couples. I also began writing a similar legal column for another LGBT site and an associated website providing legal information for LGBT couples and singles and, following the enactment of the NJ Civil Union Act in 2006, I was appointed by the Governor as a member of the commission to evaluate the implementation, operation, and effectiveness of civil unions. In our final report (January 20, 2009), we unanimously concluded that a civil union was a status inferior to civil marriage and concluded that New Jersey should "expeditiously" legalize same-sex marriage, which it did on October 21, 2013.

In 2005, I joined a leading NJ law firm, presiding over a trusts and estates practice and, in 2007, I founded a solo practice providing estate planning, wills, trusts, guardianship, and elder law among other services.

This section is not limited to questions related to sexuality. Although the focus is on legal questions that affect older gay men and couples, our rights and our responsibilities. In general, I will post answers to questions here on the OlderGay.Men website so other users can become informed about their legal rights. I edit out some information that might identify the writer to avoid embarrassment to the writer. Occasionally, someone needs a referral to an attorney and, to the extent I can help them, I may respond directly.

However, I generally cannot represent you, particularly if you are a resident of a state other than the ones in which I am admitted (Texas and New York). OlderGay.Men presents the legal information on this website as a service to users of this site. Although the information in this section is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. I welcome your questions, however contacting me via this website does not create an attorney-client relationship nor should you provide me with any confidential information.