San Diego 6 news has carried several articles as to the Dennis Hopper divorce. Many of the articles are published by KTLA News.
Dennis Hopper died last Saturday at the age of 74. Several months earlier he filed for a divorce against his Wife Victoria Duffy whom he married in 1996. Reportedly, Hopper and Duffy executed a prenuptial agreement which provided Victory with 25% of Hopper's estate with reported conditions that they are still married and living together at his death.
What if anything Victoria Duffy did to delay the case is unknown. However, it was widely reported that Dennis Hopper's health was rapidly deteriorating due to cancer. It is possible that Victoria knew that through extensive discovery and subpoena efforts as well as preparing the case for trial she could delay the case for many months. Months past Dennis Hopper's expected life span.
The San Diego Superior Court, Family Law division tries to end all San Diego divorce cases within one year; however many cases extend well beyond a year. With extensive filings for divorce, and motions on calendar every day, a two week trial would be hard to calendar. Possibly Ms. Duffy was trying to run out the clock.
California divorce law provides that marriages are terminated by divorce or death. Here, death came first—last Saturday. The divorce court’s jurisdiction terminates with the divorce. Now the case will transfer to the probate court where Ms. Duffy will seek her share of the estate. The San Diego divorce lawyer at Law Office of Thomas M. Huguenor handles San Diego family law cases.
