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Lawyers See Recent NM Marriages Of Same Sex Couples As Legally Sound

As hundreds of gay and lesbian couples flock to courthouses around New Mexico to get married, advocates are hopeful the state's highest court will soon step in to resolve lingering legal questions and provide a uniform policy on marriage equality.

For now, six of the state's 33 counties are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

University of New Mexico family law professor Antoinette Sedillo Lopez said Wednesday that recent marriages of same sex couples are legally sound. She said marriages are presumed valid in New Mexico until they are voided by a court.

Rep. Brian Egolf, a Santa Fe lawyer, said it's very unlikely a court would invalidate the marriages.

What remains uncertain is when a legal challenge reaches the five-member Supreme Court for a ruling that would apply statewide.

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