An appeals court ruled Thursday that the survivor of a same-sex marriage has the right to inherit as a spouse. A gay rights legal group called the decision the first of its kind at an appellate level in New York. It’s illegal for same-sex couples to get married in New York The appellate court decided, however, that J. Craig Leiby and H. Kenneth Rantfle’s 2008 marriage in Canada was legal. Therefore, Leiby is entitled to being recognized as a surviving spouse The two were married after being together as a couple for almost 25 years, court documents show Rantfle died in 2008 of lung cancer, leaving most his estate to Leiby.

Read the full story from CBS.