Marvin v. Marvin: The Case That Invented 'Palimony'

What Happened

Lee Marvin was one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1960s and 1970s, an Academy Award winner for 'Cat Ballou.' Michelle Triola was a singer and actress who lived with Marvin from 1964 to 1970. She legally changed her last name to Marvin, though the two never married. When the relationship ended, Lee moved on. Michelle was left with nothing — or so it seemed under existing law.

In 1972, Michelle Triola Marvin filed a groundbreaking lawsuit. She argued that she and Lee had an oral agreement: she would give up her career to be his full-time companion and homemaker, and in return she would share equally in his earnings. She sought half of the estimated $3.6 million Lee earned during their cohabitation. No American court had ever recognized such a claim between unmarried partners.

The case reached the California Supreme Court in 1976, which issued a landmark ruling. The court held that unmarried cohabitants could make enforceable agreements — express or implied — about property sharing, and that courts could apply equitable remedies to prevent unjust enrichment. The media coined the term 'palimony,' a portmanteau of 'pal' and 'alimony.' The ruling sent shockwaves through family law nationwide.

At the trial that followed in 1979, the judge found no enforceable contract between the two but awarded Michelle $104,000 for 'rehabilitative purposes' — essentially job retraining money. Even this was later overturned on appeal. Michelle ultimately received nothing. But the legal principle was established: unmarried partners have property rights. The case transformed cohabitation law in America and influenced similar reforms worldwide.

Legal Breakdown: Cohabitation & Property Rights

What This Means for Your Divorce