The announcement of Hugh Hefner’s third marriage to fiancée Crystal Harris has left many wondering why the Playboy mogul is disregarding advice to obtain a prenuptial agreement.
Christopher C. Melcher, a Los Angeles family law attorney, says that Hefner’s decision may work out to his advantage.
“Hefner’s fortune is fairly safe from community property claims under California law without a prenuptial agreement,” says the Los Angeles divorce attorney. “His Playboy stock and other property will not change into community property just because he marries Harris. The only community property will be his earnings during the marriage.”
Hefner’s 2009 divorce from former Playmate Kimberley Conrad left the multimillionaire paying $250,000 every year to his ex-wife because of their prenuptial agreement.
Melcher says that people don’t always wed for the right reasons. “It is surprising that Hefner would get married without the prenup, but rich men marry young women all the time without any form of legal protection,” he points out.
The Los Angeles divorce attorney adds that if the marriage only lasts a short time, spousal support would only be for one-half the length of the marriage and there would be little community property to divide among both parties.
“Maybe he feels that, at age 84, he is willing to take the risk and pay her one-half of anything he creates during the marriage.”
Hefner and Harris, 24, have been in January of 2009. The two will exchange wedding vows on June 18.
About Christopher C. Melcher: Christopher C. Melcher is a Certified Family Law Specialist focusing on complex family litigation and premarital agreements. He has been practicing law in California since 1994. Melcher is vice chair of the family law section of the California State Bar and serves as a member of the family law executive committee of the California State Bar.
About Walzer & Melcher LLP: Walzer & Melcher LLP is composed of a team of trial attorneys who practice family law exclusively. They handle divorce, custody and paternity cases in Los Angeles and Ventura County. The team is also knowledgeable related areas of law, such as real estate, corporations, partnerships, pensions, taxation, trusts and estates and criminal, which allows them to better serve their family law clients.
For more on Christopher C. Melcher or Walzer & Melcher LLP, please visit www.walzermelcher.com.
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