Paris Jackson’s fight with her late father Michael Jackson’s estate has entered another legal showdown — this time over more than $1.16 million in attorney fees.
John Branca, an executor of Michael’s estate, filed legal documents Monday objecting to Paris’ request for $1,165,481.90 in legal bills.
The estate argues the amount is not reasonable and says Paris is attempting to collect fees connected to legal battles that were unrelated to the specific benefit she secured for the estate.
The dispute stems from Paris’ challenge to $625,000 in attorney bonuses paid by Michael’s estate in 2018.
According to the supplied court history, Paris challenged those payments and secured a ruling in April ordering the money to be returned to the estate.
Because her legal efforts resulted in a financial benefit for the estate, the judge ruled that the estate should cover her “reasonable” legal fees associated with obtaining that benefit.
Paris subsequently submitted her request for more than $1.16 million.
Now Branca is pushing back.
The estate argues that Paris’ requested amount goes beyond the legal work that actually produced the benefit for the estate. The filing also claims she is overstating the amount she ultimately saved the estate.
Another point of contention: the estate says some of the money being counted toward the financial benefit was voluntarily returned, rather than recovered solely because of Paris’ legal efforts.
The estate is not arguing that Paris should receive nothing.
Instead, Branca’s position is that she should be compensated for the specific legal fights she won and the financial benefits those efforts actually delivered to the estate’s beneficiaries.
That puts the latest dispute squarely on the question of what constitutes “reasonable” legal fees after Paris successfully challenged the earlier attorney payments.
For now, Paris’ $1.16 million request remains contested, with the Michael Jackson estate asking the court to take a narrower view of what legal work should be reimbursed.
