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Lawyer: Gary Coleman’s Wife May Not Have Had Authority to ‘Pull Plug’

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Gary Coleman's wife, Shannon Price, may not have had the right to remove her husband from life support on Friday, the actor's lawyer tells UsMagazine.com.

"Some people have raised the issue that they saw Gary and Shannon on Divorce Court and now there's some questions about whether or not they were married at the time of the death and whether [Shannon] had the authority to pull the plug at the hospital," attorney Randy Kester says. The two – who secretly wed in 2007 after meeting on the set of Church Ball the year before – appeared on the court show in 2008 in an attempt to save their marriage.

PHOTOS: Look back on Gary's life and career

"Some people in the public are raising issues whether she had authority to do that and if she has authority to be making funeral arrangements, and exactly where she fits into his estate," he adds. "I think there's going to be some developing controversy about some issues of authority."

Kester says he's not sure of Price's authority yet — and may not know for awhile. "Everyone is out there searching for a will, and I haven't seen one yet."

Coleman's estranged parents — whom he sued for $1.3 million in 1989 for stealing a portion of his fortune — will attend the actor's funeral, to be held Friday or Saturday in the Salt Lake City, Utah area.

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Kester says Coleman's family "seem to be doing OK" while dealing with his death at age 42 from a brain hemorrhage. Listen to the 911 call.

"It's been kind of hard, you know?" continued Kester. "There are a lot of emotions surrounding all of it."

UsMagazine.com
exclusively reported Tuesday that Coleman's fatal fall was caused by weakness from an intense 4-hour dialysis session to treat his congenital kidney disease.

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Price, 24, wrote in a statement that it she was "very grateful for all the wonderful support [from fans]… This is so comforting to the family to know how beloved he still is."

For more details about Coleman's bizarre marriage to Price, how he asked Ron Jeremy for sex advice and how Coleman ignored doctor's orders despite his failing health, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands today.

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