Supreme Court ruling impacts kids of same-sex couples

Children would mostly feel effects indirectly if the benefits bolster the family's overall financial health, he says. For instance, there may be income-tax advantages, depending on the couple's circumstances. And, if one spouse dies, the other will be able to collect a spouse's federal Social Security benefits and be entitled to inheritance benefits, he says.

Not all the changes are economically beneficial -- for instance, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, known as the FAFSA, which determines parents' expected contribution to a child's college education, will now include the married partner's salary and assets, he says.

The benefits for children of gay couples also are psychological, says businessman Jon Cooper, a former Suffolk County legislator. He married his partner, Rob, on their 29th anniversary in 2009; they've raised five children, now ages 18 to 27.

"It's absolutely had a positive emotional impact for our kids, and the children of tens of thousands of other gay married couples across the country," Cooper says.