Michael Jackson’s estate is challenging Paris Jackson’s request for more than $1.16 million in legal fees after the singer’s daughter successfully fought to have $625,000 in attorney bonus payments returned to the estate.
The latest development adds another chapter to the long-running dispute between Paris and the executors managing her late father’s estate.
John Branca, one of the executors of Michael Jackson’s estate, filed court documents objecting to Paris’ request for $1,165,481.90 in legal fees. According to the filing, the estate does not dispute that Paris is entitled to some reimbursement but argues that the amount she is seeking is unreasonable.
Paris Jackson wins $625,000 court dispute
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The legal fee dispute stems from Paris’ successful challenge to $625,000 in bonus payments made to outside law firms representing Michael Jackson’s estate in 2018.
Paris had objected to the payments, arguing that they had not been properly approved or justified.
A Los Angeles probate court subsequently sided with her and ordered the money to be returned to the estate. The ruling also established that Paris could seek reimbursement for reasonable legal fees because her action had produced a financial benefit for the estate.
The payments involved three outside law firms and included $250,000 to Greenberg Traurig, $250,000 to the firm associated with the late estate attorney Howard Weitzman and $125,000 to Jeryll Cohen of Saul Ewing.
Paris subsequently submitted a request seeking more than $1.16 million in legal fees.
Michael Jackson estate challenges $1.16 million request
In the latest filing, Branca argues that Paris’ request goes beyond the legal work that directly resulted in the recovery of the $625,000.
The estate contends that the request includes legal work connected to other disputes within the broader probate case.
Branca also disputes the way Paris calculated the financial benefit generated by her legal efforts.
According to the estate’s position, some of the money included in her calculation had already been voluntarily returned and therefore should not necessarily be counted as a benefit created by her litigation.
The estate therefore maintains that Paris should be compensated for the work connected specifically to the issues on which she prevailed and for benefits that her legal action actually secured for the estate’s beneficiaries.
Paris and estate remain locked in legal dispute
The disagreement over legal fees is part of a much broader dispute between Paris and the people overseeing her father’s estate.
Paris has previously raised concerns about the estate’s financial management, transparency and payments to lawyers and other professionals.
Her successful challenge to the $625,000 bonuses represented a significant development in that wider dispute.
The court’s ruling not only ordered the money returned but also placed restrictions on future bonus payments to estate attorneys, requiring beneficiary consent or court approval in certain circumstances.
The estate, however, has defended the work carried out by Branca, co-executor John McClain and its professional advisers.
Estate says its lawyers created billions in value
The latest legal fight comes as the estate itself seeks approval for more than $9 million in legal fees covering six years of professional work.
According to TMZ, the estate says the fees relate to a broad range of work, including tax planning, trademark matters, business deals and other legal issues.
The estate has also pointed to the transformation of Michael Jackson’s financial position since his death in 2009.
According to the estate’s filing, Jackson died with more than $500 million in debt, while the estate has since been transformed into an enterprise valued at around $2 billion.
The estate argues that its lawyers and other professionals played an important role in achieving that financial turnaround.
Court yet to decide Paris Jackson’s final payment
Despite challenging the amount Paris is seeking, Branca’s position does not appear to be that she should receive nothing.
Instead, the estate argues that any reimbursement should be limited to reasonable legal expenses connected to the successful challenge and the financial benefits directly attributable to her efforts.
The final amount Paris Jackson will receive therefore remains undecided.
A judge will ultimately determine what portion of the $1,165,481.90 request qualifies as reasonable legal fees under the earlier ruling.
For now, the dispute represents another significant chapter in the continuing legal battle surrounding Michael Jackson’s estate.
Paris’ successful challenge resulted in the recovery of $625,000 for the estate, but the parties now disagree over how much she should be reimbursed for the legal work that produced that result.
