Marvin Mitchelson Marvin Mitchelson ( May 7 , 1928 - September 18 , 2004 in Beverly Hills , California ) was a celebrity lawyer who pioneered the concept of palimony , calling it `` marriage with no rings attached . `` Mitchelson earned a B.A. from UCLA and his J.D. from Southwestern University , and was admitted to the California Bar on June 4 , 1957 . In 1963 , he won a landmark United States Supreme Court decision giving indigent defendants the right to legal counsel . He gained national publicity when he was hired by Michelle Triola , a lounge singer who lived with actor Lee Marvin as his personal partner from 1964 until 1970 , when Marvin told her to move out because he wanted to marry another woman . Mitchelson helped Triola — who claimed that she was entitled to the same benefits as a divorcée , which meant half of Marvin 's then- $ 3.6 million fortune — win her right to bring suit . Although Triola was awarded $ 104 , 000 for `` rehabilitation '' in 1978 ( the ruling was overturned in 1981 ; Marvin never paid Triola any money ) , Marvin v . Marvin ( Triola assumed Marvin 's name during the relationship ) set a precedent . Marvin 's celebrity clients included Pamela Mason ( wife of James Mason ) , Joan Collins , Mel Tormé , Bianca Jagger , Mrs. William Shatner and many ex-wives of errant playboy sheiks . He owned a 38-room Beverly Hills mansion ( which now belongs to Johnny Depp ) , a fleet of two-tone Rolls-Royces and epitomised the 70s champagne and cocaine lifestyle , consuming both in increasingly large quantities until a series of unpaid tax bills and malpractice complaints caught up with him . He said , `` A divorce lawyer is a chameleon with a law book. '' In his Century City office he had a chair owned by Rudolph Valentino and an illuminated ceiling of Botticelli 's Venus which matched his belt buckle . He saw two rape charges dropped , but in 1993 he was suspended for failing to adequately supervise an associate and improper conduct in the use of a client trust account , a 1994 suspension for failure to take the professional responsibility exam , a 1995 probation revocation , and a 1996 discipline for failure to provide accountings or return unearned fees in 14 client matters . A 1993 conviction for not paying taxes on some $ 2 million in income resulted in suspension from the Bar , bankruptcy and eventually two years in jail from 1996 to 1998 . The case was initiated by a former girlfriend of Mitchelson 's and was investigated by IRS Special Agent James Lawrence Wilson . He wept on his first day in Lompoc prison , but ultimately found white-collar incarceration stimulating . He organised an opera appreciation society , ran the library and helped other prisoners with their appeals . He was able to resume his practice in 2000 after presenting a `` humble and contrite '' figure to the court . His last high-profile client was longtime friend Phil Spector , whom Mitchelson was to defend against murder charges when he died . Ironically , Mitchelson was himself married for 45 years — to a feisty former Italian starlet , Marcella . They had one son , Morgan . He joked that his matrimonial success was bad for his divorce practice , but the relationship was often stormy . She once tried to mow down one of his mistresses in her car . He filed for divorce a number of times , but admitted he was always too scared to serve her the papers . Further reading Ladies ' Man : The Life and Trials of Marvin Mitchelson by John A. Jenkins ( 1992 , St . Martin 's Press ) ISBN 0-312-07856-0 Categories : 1928 births | 2004 deaths | California lawyers | Disbarred American lawyers | People from Beverly Hills , California 