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Elvis' Divorce Lawyer Died

July 14, 2007 | People
Harry M. Fain, a pioneering family law attorney who helped bring no-fault divorce to California in 1970 and handled the high-powered breakups of such celebrity marriages as Elvis Presley, Cary Grant and Ali McGraw, died Friday of pneumonia at a skilled nursing facility in Los Angeles. He was 88.

In his practice, Fain preferred settlement over litigation. The attorney praised Presley, his client, when the singer reached an out-of-court agreement in 1973 to pay his wife, Priscilla, nearly $1.5 million.

"This man agreed to pay her this without any contest because he wanted to be generous and make her happy," Fain said in a 1973 Times article. "I never met a man so unselfish."
Source:LA Times
FLY-TROUBLE! wrote on July 14, 2007
Precilla didn't deserve this generosity from Elvis. After all,she cheated him. R.I.P. Harry.
Sirbalkan wrote on July 14, 2007
Yeah. R.I.P. Harry... :(
rosiel wrote on July 14, 2007
He would never have done it any other way. I think he realised, it wasn't an easy life for any woman. I don't like Priscilla but, she did help to make the estate what it is today.
Jerome wrote on July 14, 2007
Bless you Elvis for being a gentleman and a true loving person. Although you could spare the money, you set aside your pride and showed that, despite all personal pressures in that time, you settled for an agreement that was 'unselfish'.. rest in peace mr. Fain
Elvis35-77 wrote on July 14, 2007
Hold up there Elvis73, we know Elvis wasn't perfect. No one is. As far as him throwing things at her, remember you are only hearing one side of the story. I like to hear both sides before I make up my mind. She knew what she was about to marry. She had been with him for years before the wedding. She could have left. She knew he was cheating, he had his friends around ALL the time. She knew exactly was she was getting into. Again, I know Elvis wasn't perfect. Just remember there are always two sides!!
byebye wrote on July 14, 2007
That´s correct Elvis 35-77. If someone wants to divorce, that´s one thing, but Elvis sure was generous. Pricilla has proven to be a very vain and greedy person who has absolutely nothing interesting to say about anything. Any fool can/could make cash on Elvis, it doesn´t take more than the right to use his name and music (and house) ! The fact that she also keeps the "Presley" name, while she got a new partner since 25 years back + a new son proves she is very greedy and vain person with a heart of stone. It´s a disgrace, she should change her name back to what it was, or marry mr: Nobody she is with today. Pricilla + EPE + Scientology is a very bad combination. There should be somekind of law for a person filing for divorce and at the same time keeping their husbands money, child and surname. She actually took everything from him, except his god gifted talent to make people happy.
Mofoca22 wrote on July 14, 2007
elvis73 are you truly a fan of elvis's or are you here just to trash him on the few flaws he had? . i have a question for you this could be directed to you as a man or woman. if you were on the road more than at home and you had men or woman throwing themselves at you after awhile wouldnt you cave in a play a little? temptation is always there and i say you be a liar if you said no. elvis cheated yes and so did priscilla but can you blame either they were apart so much and elvis was the only man she been with prior to these other guys. and quite honestly she still loves the mad to sacrifice her life and time to save graceland and his image. sure shes no longer in charge which is obvious now with the junk that comes out but she loves him but i still blame her on him losing the will to live cuz he did beg her to comeback and she said no and shattered what was left of his feeble heart. we are all only human we aint perfect. elvis was a man he aint god like everyone had made him out to be nor did he ever claim to be. the whole point of this article is to honor a good mans death and the words he spoke about elvis. elvisis and will always be the most unselfish and genorous man in the history of entertainment. if more actors and actresses and singers were like him they could do something about the world we live in.
Mofoca22 wrote on July 14, 2007
jesper back off of priscilla. elvis would be forgotten most likely had she not stepped in and saved graceland and the estate from that god forsaken parker. sure what she did was wrong but she was only a kid. she was 21 when they got married and 27 when they divourced she never had the chance to be a teen so when she and elvis divourced she made up for it till elvis died it broke her heart but she had to stay strong for lisa and when vernon died she was the only one who had balls to stand up to that fat old dutchman and take it to him. you all need to quit trashing her so much. sure elvis is popular and always has been but what about the years after his death he disappeared into the cold abyss. and for you people to also have trash lisa marie you people are disgusting. elvis would shoot you all for it them 2 woman were always his pride and joy. he had 3 loves in his life gladys , priscila and lisa marie and you people sure love to trash the last 2 without looking at things in a wider picture. you say you would do this and that differently but i totally doubt it when your born into money and fame you dont know what its like to be on the outside looking in.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on July 14, 2007
Wow Elvis 73 tell me more,since you were there,its true he should have not been married,but other than that i dont care,i wasnt there,and neither were you unless no coudnt be,could it? i really dont know why some call thereself fans they seem more intersted in his personal life(which never was or ever will be any of our business)instead of his music,so if you truely dont wont to judge,stick to that statment!
byebye wrote on July 14, 2007
Mofuca22, unlike you I criticize people who are still alive and still able to defend themselves ;) It´s you who should back off and respect diffrent point of views. It´s ok if your a Pricilly fan, but I´m not. Elvis could never be forgotten. Trends come and go, and genious of their own time is seldom recognised until later on. And wannabes like Pricilly fade. Elvis´music is a timeless treasure that will generate lots of money ´til the Twelth of never... She and Lisa would have been multi millionairs anyway from royalty, future publishing income anyway etc. Her aim is NOT true and she has absolutely NO right to keep his name today! Ps: Elvis did not die from an overdose, but probably "Valsalvas manoeuver".
Matt W wrote on July 15, 2007
Elvis' many flings and affairs outweigh Priscilla's indescretion. There is hardly just cause to sling mud at her. It was what it was and happened over 30 years ago.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on July 15, 2007
So why sling mud at anyone? i get kick out of the matter of fact type of postings on this subject,i guess everyone who purchases his music was also there,i dont care for cilla and it has nothing to do with Elvis and everything to do with her!
ranskal wrote on July 15, 2007
mature_elvis_fan75 is right. People are entitled to and should have their own opinions but it's funny how a lot of the comments on this board are stated as fact, and when someone disagrees with someone's opinion, they are wrong. My opinion on this topic is they were both at fault...Priscilla knew what she was getting into, and Elvis did what he wanted. I don't know what went on between the 2 of them, I wasn't even alive at that time, but I doubt Priscilla "drove" Elvis into cheating on her, the man had women at his disposal since at least 1956. If that were me, it would be hard for me to change my ways to be with 1 woman. Did Elvis promise her he would stop doing it and she was the only woman for him, I don't know...and if he did, was Priscilla dumb enough to believe it? I have been frustrated with some of the thing Priscilla has said about Elvis to make him look bad, and the fact that she kept his last name. I do agree that she did a great deed when she turned Graceland into what it is now for the fans. If she didn't do what she did to open it in 1982, Graceland may not even be a Presley possesion.
PaulFromFrance wrote on July 15, 2007
As every people participating here, I have nothing interesting to say about Elvis' divorce. I wanted to say this. ;-)))
see see rider wrote on July 15, 2007
Out of everyone who has posted on this, I agree with "ranskal". In case, rest in peace Mr. Fain.
My boy, my boy wrote on July 15, 2007
Hold it everyone...In my book Elvis and Pricilla's split up was by no means different, better or worse than any other couple that is on the rocks. We should treat every case individually as no one was there to see for ourselves...
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on July 15, 2007
see rider since they agreed with me,you must also right? lol
see see rider wrote on July 16, 2007
mature fan 75: Yea..I guess you're right, but I think "ranskal" put it into words a little bit better..nothing personal.
rosiel wrote on July 16, 2007
Silly to mud sling after all of these years. Elvis knew he wasn't marriage material and it was his choice to divorce. I don't believe the story that he intended to marry Ginger. I doubt he would have married again, wise man. Priscilla did what she knew she had to do to save the estate for Lisa Marie. She hired a bunch of suits and listened to their money-making wisdom and the rest is history. It was not easy being married to Elvis Presley. He knew that. But, Priscilla was not his 'widow'. Elvis never asked Linda to marry him and she took very good care of him, almost to the end. There are a lot of if only's..
byebye wrote on July 16, 2007
What is this? -A collective meltdown in tactful diplomatics? Of course there are 2 sides to every story, and "our man" probably had it coming.. But does no one think it´s weird that 35 years after she filed for divorce she still calls herself Presley? The reason is that she is afraid to fall into obscurity.
Ruthie wrote on July 17, 2007
So who cares? I mean it's bad that people die but he was 88. As for the "marriage", let's be grown up here. Like Jerry Schilling stated, no one ever knew the moments they shared privately together & during most of the marriage they had some good times. Elvis had an ego & he used it when it came to women. He probably would have never divorced but there are two sides to every story. Actually, 3 sides: his side, her side, and the real one. He was controlling but she knew she had it made once she became a Presley. She did go on to make sure that Graceland was preserved & for that she has my deepest respect. He never remarried & probably never would have but she didn't either. They led their own lives but definitely had a connection there that some married people never have. They both had faults & I think the divorce affected them on a level we probably cant understand. IT's not our place to blame.
cathyreno wrote on July 17, 2007
hi everyone , I agree with the last post priscilla is not all bad she has done some good t c b everyone
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on July 19, 2007
Im so hurt see see rider,i may never get over your statement(joking)the thing that stands out for me is her never giving up the presley name,now please try and explain that one? anyone?