Friday, February 8, 2008

Probate news: The James Brown Estate

From what The New York Times' reports, the James Brown estate has problems:

Mr. Brown’s estate was already the subject of a raft of lawsuits and squabbling involving his children, grandchildren, children whose paternity has been asserted but not yet proved, three wives and a companion who says she was his fourth wife.

Now, a lawsuit filed Tuesday by two court-appointed trustees of his estate accuses his longtime business managers, including a retired judge, of stealing millions of dollars from Mr. Brown. The suit, filed in South Carolina state court, also accuses the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, one of its lawyers, and a South Carolina bank of breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and conspiracy to defraud the legendary soul singer.

Even The New York Times has trouble not stepping into the luridness of it all