By bbr

by Sarah Warlick, content director

The back-to-back rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the Affordable Care Act and same sex marriage aren’t just conversation points. These two long-awaited decisions have a direct and immediate effect on the lives of millions of Americans, and on the financial and legal professionals who serve them.

These rulings have a major impact on multiple areas, including:

• Employee benefits
• Filing taxes for businesses, families and individuals
• Tax planning
• Family law
• Financial planning
• Wills
• Estates and trusts
• Insurance planning
• Business succession

At this point, the decisions are clear but the numerous questions they create for individuals and businesses are only beginning to emerge. It may take years to sort out all the details and fully adapt to the ACA and nationally recognized same sex marriage. What is certain, however, is that from this moment forth accountants and attorneys can expect questions from their clients who need answers based on the rulings.

But it’s not just your current clients who need help figuring out what it all means and taking advantage of the relevant consequences, either. In most communities, there are a significant number of same sex couples who, for a variety of reasons, have not publicly identified themselves as such and may be hesitant to approach providers, afraid of creating an awkward situation. Many of these couples are likely to need legal and financial services to help them formalize their relationships now that the rules have changed. Some who will need assistance are probably already among your clients, but unrecognized.

Now is the perfect moment to reach out to current and potential clients offering guidance and support as the nation navigates this new legal landscape. The businesses you serve – along with those you don’t yet work with – will almost universally require help planning for and accommodating the laws as they have been codified. A vast number of individuals and families will need legal and financial services as well. Even ‘traditional’ families commonly contain same sex couples among their near and dear, and the recent ruling makes it more likely that these couples will now be accepted and included in estate and other long term financial plans.

It’s okay that you don’t yet know all the answers – no one does! What’s important is that you reach out with the message that you are here as a resource and partner to your clients as they have questions and the country works out the details of compliance with all that the laws entail.

Welcoming those who need help with these issues is a wonderful opportunity to cement current relationships and build new ones. Don’t miss the moment. And if you need help crafting this message, bbr marketing is happy to help.