PFLAG of Martha’s Vineyard — Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays — will host an important and informative talk for the general public on family law issues related to gay, lesbian and transgender couples and families at 4 p.m. on March 15 at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard in Vineyard Haven.

Professor Jennifer Levi, associate professor of law at Western New England College, will discuss how different states treat same-sex couples, the effects of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and some of the difficult legal issues facing same-sex and transgender couples in Massachusetts — including but not limited to pension, health care and parenting issues, divorce and breaking up.

Dr. Levi has been involved in a number of landmark litigations concerning same-sex marriage and civil unions. Most recently, as a senior staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) in Boston she was involved in legal challenges to the marriage laws in New England states. Prior to that, she was a visiting professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law in Chicago, worked as an associate attorney for two Chicago law firms, and clerked in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston. She earned her law degree at the University of Chicago Law School.

Margot Parrot, an elder law and estate planning attorney in West Tisbury, will introduce Dr. Levi and explain the importance of gay and lesbian community members having estate plans and related documents.

The talk will be followed by audience questions, discussion and refreshments. For more information, call 508-693-8210.