Probate. When a person dies all of their property goes into a probate proceeding. Probate itemizes all the assets of the decedent, resolves all the debts; pays the taxes and distributes the assets. These functions are handled by the executor of the will, who is usually named in the will and confirmed by the court.
The DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT (DOMA) is a Federal law enacted on September 21, 1996 by then President Bill Clinton. The law essentially leaves it up to the States to decide whether to recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another State that permits such actions.
The rapid rise of legal same-sex marriage. Most of the states where same-sex marriage is legal came after the Supreme Court overturned a key portion of the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013. Judges across the country decided the reasoning of the ruling meant that state bans on gay marriage were unconstitutional.