Legal Battles Over James Brown’s Estate Continue

Before his death in 2006, James Brown created a trust valued at almost $100 million for the benefit of underprivileged children. In 2009, after years of legal battles between his fourth wife and seven children, the Attorney General created a deal that affirmed Brown’s will but split his estate between his family and the trust (the trust bore the legal expenses).

As a result of pending appeals, however, neither Brown’s family nor the trust have received any money. The trust’s current court-appointed trustee declined to state how much money remained in the trust, citing his fiduciary duty.

See Mat Birkbeck, Years After Death, Battle for James Brown’s Estate Rages On, Rolling Stone, Jul. 20, 2011.

Special thanks to Karen Boxx (Associate Professor of Law, University of Washington School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.