Paris Jackson Asks Court to Cut Estate Fees, Citing Missed Deadlines
Paris Jackson has asked a Los Angeles court to cut the fees paid to the people running her father's estate. In a 12-page motion filed on October 23, 2026, she accuses executor John Branca of missing deadlines set by the court, according to Deadline.
The estate has two co-executors, Branca and John McClain. They manage Michael Jackson's business affairs, including income from his music and other entertainment assets. Jackson died in 2009 with more than $500 million in debt. His daughter, now 28, has reportedly received about $65 million from the estate.
The motion says Branca missed his own deadline for filing annual accounts, then missed an extended one. Accounts are the financial record of what an estate earns and spends. The motion describes the 2023 filing as materially incomplete, and the 2024 filing as a placeholder.
The money at stake is large. The motion says the defective filings include a request for court approval of more than $100 million in compensation for the co-executors and the Ziffren law firm. Paris Jackson wants co-executor pay reduced from 15% to 10% of gross entertainment-related income, meaning the total income before costs come out. She asks for the lower rate for 2023, 2024, and every later year until a complete 2026 account is filed.
A spokesperson for Paris Jackson told Deadline that she is seeking the reduction because Branca did not meet judge-ordered deadlines meant to give visibility into estate operations. The estate has called her assertions and her demands for financial consequences "nonsensical."
This is not the first fight over fees. In September, the estate, led by Branca, challenged a $1.16 million legal fee request from Paris Jackson, according to Times of India. The same report said a court had ordered the return of $625,000 in attorney bonuses. Back in July 2025, she had already raised concerns about what she called "premium payouts" for unrecorded attorney time, as People reported.
The next step is a hearing on December 4 before retired Judge Mitchell Beckloff. Paris Jackson is represented by attorneys from Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth.
