Family Law

Deceased Actor Gary Coleman?s Ex-Wife Still Common Law Wife?

By ckramer

Gary Coleman, whose fame began as a child star in ?Diff?rent Strokes?, died on May 28. At the time, Coleman was legally divorced from his wife, Shannon Price, since August of 2008. After Coleman?s death, Price filed a petition to be the administratrix Coleman?s estate.

Price is claiming that despite the couple?s divorce, she?s still Coleman?s common law wife. According to the Chicago Tribune, Price has attached documents stating that the couple, ?assumed all marital rights, duties and obligations consistent with a marital relationship after the [divorce] decree was entered? even filing taxes as a married couple.

In Coleman?s will, which was signed several years before meeting Price, Coleman?s former manager Dion Mial is named as his estate?s executor. Price has, among other items, attached a handwritten note from 2007 which was supposedly intended to amend any earlier will and name Price the sole heir of ?his earnings, home, toy trains and other property.?

Mial?s attorney, who had not read Price?s filing, called the argument of common law marriage ?an interesting theory? and said that, ?I just don?t know how a court would find on that question.?

Coleman has had his cremation on hold while the legal disputes is settled. In contention are Coleman?s assets which include his Utah home valued at around $315,000, and a collection of toy trains. Both Coleman?s ex wife, Price, and his former girlfriend and manager, Anna Gray, are claiming to be the lawful administratrix of his estate.

Gray?s attorney claims that Coleman and Gray knew each other for eight years and that she moved to Utah and lived with Coleman briefly before Coleman and Price started their romantic relationship in 2005.

Mial has declined to contest for control as the administrator of Coleman?s estate because he believes that a will naming Gray the administratrix takes precedent over the 1999 will naming him, citing the fact that the Gray will is more recent.

Coleman?s estranged parents, Sue and Willie, said they are not attempting to make their son?s funeral arrangements. The parents stated that they wanted Coleman to rest and they want him to be left alone.

Price?s claim as the heir of Coleman?s estate is hinged on her contention that she and Coleman were still common-law husband and wife. Her evidence is mainly that the two continued to live together, share bank accounts and even present themselves as husband and wife. Price was the one who made the 911 call on May 26, and during the call she referred to Coleman as her husband.

Price and Coleman?s divorce was not public until after the actor?s death, giving more evidence to the notion that the two still acted as a married couple.

Not all states have common-law marriage, but it will be interesting to see how the judge rules in this case.

Full post as published by The Divorce Blog on June 21, 2010 (boomark / email).