Paris Jackson has won a legal battle in Los Angeles that forces three lawyers connected to her father Michael Jackson's estate to return around £500,000 ($625,000) in bonuses and payments, after a judge ruled the sums were not properly justified.
The decision, handed down by a retired judge overseeing the estate's complex probate process, marks a significant victory for Paris Jackson in her long-running scrutiny of how the estate has been managed.
The ruling focuses on payments made in 2018 to senior legal figures working on the estate, which Paris Jackson argued were excessive and lacked transparency. It also sets new limits on how future bonus payments to attorneys can be handled, tightening oversight in a case that has already stretched on for more than a decade since Michael Jackson's death in 2009.
Michael Jackson's estate has been under court supervision since his death in Los Angeles, with executors tasked with managing debts, assets, and ongoing commercial deals tied to his global legacy. While the estate has been widely credited with turning around its finances over the years, it has also faced repeated legal probes from beneficiaries questioning costs and decision-making.
According toThe Rolling Stone, three lawyers working on Michael Jackson's estate were given bonus payments approved by estate executor John Branca. These included £200,000 ($250,000) for Jay Cooper, £100,000 ($125,000) for Jeryll Cohen, and £200,000 ($250,000) for the late lawyer Howard Weitzman.
However, in a detailed 23-page ruling released this week, retired judge Mitchell Beckloff said the estate did not clearly explain why these extra bonuses were needed on top of their normal hourly pay. He said the payments looked 'arbitrary,' meaning they seemed to be decided without a clear reason or proper explanation.
The judge added that even if estate leaders understand legal fees, any additional payments still require solid proof and clear justification.
As a result, the court ordered that the bonuses be repaid to the estate. It also introduced stricter rules for the future. From now on, any bonus payments to lawyers must either be approved in writing by all beneficiaries or formally signed off by the court.
The judge also ruled that the estate must hold back 30% of legal fees until they are officially reviewed and approved, to ensure payments are properly vetted before release.
Paris' lawyers asked the court to tighten the financial management of Michael Jackson's estate. They said clearer rules were needed to prevent legal bills from becoming too high and to ensure lawyers report their fees on time and in a more transparent way. They also suggested holding back a larger share of payments until everything was properly reviewed.
Source: International Business Times UK
