Gormley v. Robertson

Gormley and Robertson (plaintiff and defendant), a same-sex couple, cohabited for ten years, jointly purchasing and improving a home using shared funds; when they separated and disagreed over the property, Gormley sued, arguing the meretricious-relationship doctrine -- traditionally applied to unmarried opposite-sex cohabitants -- should govern the property division. The trial court agreed, applied the doctrine's factors, and awarded Gormley 30% of the home's equity; Robertson appealed.