A London-based law firm is the latest plaintiff to sue the estate of Michael Jackson.
It has been several years since Michael Jackson passed away, but his estate is still being sued by his creditors. The most recent case involves a U.K. law firm that claims it did legal work worth $200,000 for Jackson in the two years prior to his death. The firm submitted a claim against the estate in November 2009. However, it was not until December 2015 that the estate formally denied the claim and refused to pay it.
The Hollywood Reporter discussed this case in "Michael Jackson Estate Sued Over Legal Fees."
As with most lawsuits against the Jackson estate it is impossible to know which side is correct. The Jackson estate believes the law firm's claim is not valid, but no basis has been given for that belief. The estate intends to fight the lawsuit.
One problem here is that the estate did not make its decision on this creditor's claim for six years. While administering the estate has been difficult and time-consuming, waiting six years to make a determination on a claim certainly seems excessive.
Estate executors should seek to determine the validity of claims against the estate as quickly as possible because creditors should be paid before assets are distributed to heirs. If executors cannot do that on their own, then they should seek assistance from estate administration attorneys.
Reference: Hollywood Reporter (March 23, 2016) "Michael Jackson Estate Sued Over Legal Fees."