Judge Orders $625,000 Returned to Michael Jackson Estate, Tightening Lawyer Fee Controls
Updated
Updated · Deadline · May 13
Judge Orders $625,000 Returned to Michael Jackson Estate, Tightening Lawyer Fee Controls
10 articles · Updated · Deadline · May 13
$625,000 in 2018 bonus payments to lawyers for Michael Jackson’s estate must be returned after retired judge Mitchell Beckloff sustained Paris Jackson’s objection in an April 29 order made public Wednesday.
Beckloff also curbed future spending: executors cannot pay attorney bonuses without all beneficiaries’ written consent or court approval, and may pay only 70% of ongoing legal fees until the remaining 30% is approved.
The estate said it disagrees with the ruling but will comply, while Paris Jackson’s camp called it a major win for transparency and accountability after years of disputes with executors John Branca and John McClain.
The order puts the executors on a filing schedule, requiring fee petitions for 2019-2024 services by Sept. 15, 2026, as fights continue over delayed expense records and costs tied to the biopic Michael.
Those broader battles matter because the estate has grown from roughly $500 million in debt at Jackson’s 2009 death into a multibillion-dollar business, even as scrutiny persists over its management and Jackson-related controversies.
Is Paris Jackson’s victory a win for family oversight or a threat to her father’s $2 billion financial legacy?
When an executor is a hero in a biopic boycotted by the family, who is the film truly for?