A new ruling in a New York appellate court now grants the same rights, benefits and responsibilities to couples in a civil union equal to that of married spouses--including divorce.

It's an issue that has been an ongoing burden for same-sex couples committed in a civil union--

And takes precedence from a court case that originated in Vermont.

Amy Schwartz-Wallace from the Empire Justice Center and Vivian Aquilina from the Legal Aid Society of Rochester explain more.