Exactly how many same-sex couples are seeking divorces is not clear - nor is it clear whether any gay divorces have become final - because not all counties keep track of which divorce filings are from same-sex couples.

The first gay-divorce case in Suffolk County, which includes Boston, was filed Wednesday by a male couple who exchanged vows May 22, five days after same-sex marriage was legalized.

One partner, 33, is a religious educator from Boston; the other, 39, is a professor based in Washington. Since then, the couple said in their divorce filing, "our interests have grown in different directions." Each man signed a settlement attesting that the marriage had "irretrievably broken down."

The most difficult part of the settlement appeared to be custody of their three cats, who will live exclusively with the professor.

Massachusetts began sanctioning gay marriages May 17, six months after a landmark ruling by the state's Supreme Judicial Court.

According to the state Registry of Vital Records, at least 4,266 gay-marriage certificates have since been issued, though there is a lag time in the records, and hundreds more may have wed this year.
