Michael Jackson’s estate, led by executor John Branca, challenges Paris Jackson’s request for $1.16 million (reported as roughly NZ$2 million) in legal fees. The dispute follows a court order requiring the return of $625,000 in attorney bonuses, which Paris successfully contested. The estate says Paris’s fee request is inflated and includes work that is not connected to the matters that produced the court’s decision.
The estate argues that the portion of legal effort Paris attributes to recovering or benefiting from the bonus return is overstated, and it disputes that the requested amount reflects reasonable fees for the specific outcome. Both outlets report that the court must decide what constitutes a proper, reasonable fee.
Across coverage, the core focus remains on the fee calculation: Paris seeks a substantial sum based on her legal efforts, while Branca’s team counters that unrelated tasks were included and that the financial effect secured should be valued differently. The case turns on how the court measures compensable work tied to the bonus dispute and the amount owed accordingly.
