Michael Jackson is a name that is well known to our readers in Nevada. He gained fame as a child star in the Jackson 5 musical group and continued on to become the ‘King of Pop.’ The talented singer was also the subject of many assertions of sexual abuse and even a criminal trial while he was alive. It is that criminal case that is involved in a new claim being made against the estate in a probate court.
In probate matters in Nevada and elsewhere, claims from creditors can be made against an estate for a specified period of time. Once that time period has passed, commonly the court oversees distribution of an estate according to the terms of a last will or other estate planning document. This is what occurred in the probate case of Michael Jackson after his death in 2009.
The new proceeding asks that the probate court allow a new creditor claim to be made against the estate despite the fact that the time period for filing claims has expired. The assertion comes from a man that says the singer sexually abused him during the 1990s, when he worked as a dancer in Jackson’s music videos. It is unclear at this point if the court will entertain the new claim.
The procedures in the probate of an estate in Nevada are set by state laws. These laws require that any creditor who feels that they are owed money from an estate must present a claim during the specified period. Though it is uncommon to allow additional assertions to be made, there are situations where this occurs, as may be the case for the Jackson estate. When a person in Nevada finds that they are in a similar situation, they may do well to review the applicable laws and procedures before initiating the claims process.
Source: kare11.com, “Former dancer accuses Michael Jackson of sexual abuse,” May 16, 2013