In March 2020, economist and Barnard Distinguished Scholar Prof. Daniel S. Hamermesh co-published a new working paper with the National Bureau of Economic Research, explaining recent findings on the impact of legal support in same-sex couples. His studies with Scott Delhommer, a colleague at the University of Texas at Austin, have shown that where same-sex marriage is legalized, same-sex couples have a greater marital surplus (a couple's total excess income relative to their wages) and greater likelihood of home-ownership over time. Hamermesh explains how this research highlights the incentivizing power of legal support to same-sex couples, and how it can contribute to their long term financial well-being.