A man who lost his husband in a 2011 auto accident finally had his marriage legally recognized this morning in Alabama.

An Alabama man who lost his husband in 2011 has had his legal civil marriage recognized by the State of Alabama today. Dr. Paul Hard (photo) married David Fancher in 2011 in Massachusetts. Just a few months later Fancher was killed in an auto accident.

Fancher’s mother has been fighting in court to award her Dr. Hard’s share of the proceeds in a separateÂ wrongful death lawsuit. State law allows the proceeds to be shared among the deceased legal spouse and other family members. Until today, Alabama law would not allow Hard to be recognized as Fancher’s legal spouse.

Hard’s mother-in-law has been working with Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore‘sÂ Foundation for Moral Law, which filed a Supreme Court amicus brief on her behalf last year, opposing same-sex marriage.

TheÂ Foundation for Moral Law claimed same-sex marriage “will weaken the very foundations of our nation.”Â

It also claimed thatÂ “Ms.Â Fancher deeply loved her son and he loved her.Â They had a close and loving relationship,Â even though she had deeply held moral and religious objections to homosexuality, theÂ gay lifestyle, and sameÂ sex marriage.”

BREAKING: It’s official! Our client Paul Hard has received state recognition of his marriage to deceased husband. pic.twitter.com/9hOpYadJS0 â€” SPLC (@splcenter) February 9, 2015

Hard understandably became emotional as the new certificate was issued. #alpolitics â€” Brian Lyman (@lyman_brian) February 9, 2015

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Image via TwitterÂ

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