Price’s Marriage Lie Raises Estate Planning Issues

Shannon Price and Gary Coleman wed in 2007. Last Friday, after Gary’s accident, Shannon authorized doctors to take Gary off of life support in accordance with his living will. On Wednesday, Entertainment Tonight revealed that Price and Coleman were actually no longer married; they were divorced almost two years ago. This discovery raises a few issues:

• If Price was not Gary’s wife, did she still have the authority to make the “pull the plug” decision?
• If a valid will is not discovered, Gary’s estate will be unsettled. If he had no wife and no will, his estate may go to his estranged parents.

See Lawyer:  Gary Coleman’s Ex-Wife Lied to Hospital About Marriage, UsMagazine.com, June 2, 2010.