Paris Jackson is celebrating a legal win in her ongoing court battle involving the estate of her father, Michael Jackson.
The 28-year-old had raised some concerns about how the estate is being managed by executors John Branca and John McClain, accusing them of making financial decisions that she believes do not fully protect the interests of the estate and its beneficiaries.
This week, a judge ordered that $625,000 in bonus payments made to lawyers must be returned to the estate.
The court, however, also ruled that such bonus payments cannot be made in the future without written approval from all beneficiaries or a court order.
Court documents showed that payments made in 2008 were considered not properly justified and were described as random.
The judge also instructed the executors to cover Paris’s legal costs linked to the case.
Despite the ruling, the court also noted that the executors helped transform the late icon’s estate from financial struggle at the time of his death into a highly successful business over the years.
A spokesperson for the singer’s daughter welcomed the decision and called it a major step forward, adding that she’s been focused on ensuring transparency and accountability for the family and believes the ruling brings important clarity.
The estate team said they respect the court’s decision but disagreed with parts of the ruling.
