A Look At Economic Impact If Court Overturns DOMA

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on two gay marriage cases tomorrow — Proposition 8 in California, which outlaws gay marriage there, and a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

DOMA is the 1996 law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The lawsuit was brought by 83-year-old Edith Windsor, who argues she should not have had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in inheritance taxes when her wife, Thea Spyer, died because opposite sex couples don't have to pay that tax.

If the Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, it would have an immediate and significant economic impact on legally married gay couples, from receiving military survivor benefits to being eligible for a spouse's federal health benefits.