Katherine Jackson Counters Grandson’s Objection To Michael Jackson’s Estate Paying Her Legal Fees In Ongoing Family Battle

Katherine Jackson, the matriarch of the Jackson family, has responded to her grandson, Bigi Jackson, amid an ongoing legal dispute concerning the late Michael Jackson’s estate.

The conflict arose after Bigi objected to his grandmother’s use of estate funds to cover her legal fees in a disagreement with the estate’s executors over the sale of Michael Jackson’s catalog to Sony. In a filing dated March 20, Katherine filed a response with her arguments in the matter.

In documents, Katherine alleges that the estate’s executors are excessively frugal in the distribution of funds to beneficiaries and asserts that they have the financial means to cover the requested costs. Her filing suggests that the executors have retained control over the estate’s assets, possibly to avoid the more liberal distribution requirements outlined in the trust. Given the estate’s current valuation of $1.5 billion, Katherine argues that the executors cannot genuinely claim that the estate lacks sufficient funds to fulfill her request.

The filing also contends that the estate of any other interested parties would not lose any value to creditors were it to cover Katherine’s legal fees. It asserts that ample funds remain available for the remaining beneficiaries and far exceed any potential liabilities. Additionally, the documents dispute the executors’ attorneys’ claim that 20% of the estate must be allocated to charitable organizations before any preliminary distribution to other beneficiaries. The papers state that the trust does not mandate such payments before other beneficiaries receive their share.

Although Katherine is not a direct beneficiary of the estate like Michael Jackson’s children, she is the sole beneficiary of a sub-trust established in his will. Katherine and her legal team argue that the court has the jurisdiction to instruct the executors to cover her legal fees.

In a court hearing on Monday, Katherine’s attorney, Adam Pines, reiterated the request for the estate to pay the $500,000 attorney fees she incurred when she appealed last year’s decision. This petition comes in response to Bigi’s objection filed on March 18. In his filing, Bigi argued that the estate would not benefit from financing Katherine’s pending appeal against co-executors John Branca and John McClain, who sought approval for a recent undisclosed transaction, likely about the estate’s estimated $600 million catalog sale to Sony.

The court documents indicate that Bigi does not oppose the estate covering Katherine’s attorneys’ fees entirely. He expressed support for the payment of reasonable attorney fees and costs for her initial objection to the transaction, as she presented essential evidence in that instance.