Michael Jacksons' mother get custody, yet battles for contol of MJ Estate

story by CNN

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved an agreement granting Katherine Jackson permanent custody of her son Michael Jackson's children.

A hearing is scheduled for October to look at some remaining issues.

An agreement between Katherine Jackson, 79, and Debbie Rowe, mother of Jackson's two eldest children, cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing.
Rowe, who was briefly married to Michael Jackson, agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children.

Katherine Jackson was in the courtroom along with her daughters LaToya and Rebbie and a son, Randy.

Also Monday, Beckloff ordered that Katherine Jackson be given copies of her son's contracts in connection with a series of concerts that had been scheduled for this summer.

She had sought the contracts between Michael Jackson and AEG, the company that was organizing and promoting the concerts, along with others involved in the tour. She has agreed to keep the contract provisions confidential.

Sharing of the contracts was a major point of contention between Katherine Jackson and the two men who control her son's estate: John Branca, Michael Jackson's longtime personal attorney, and John McClain, a music industry executive and longtime friend.

Branca's attorney argued in a court filing that his client had no choice but to request confidentiality from Katherine Jackson, since the contracts have a provision keeping them confidential.

Katherine Jackson has also challenged the naming of the two as executors of her son's will.

During Monday's hearing, Beckloff asked one of her attorneys, Burt Levitch, whether there was any objection to admitting the 2002 will for probate without deciding who its executors will be.
Beckloff noted that no one has come forward to object to the terms of the will itself. Levitch agreed, and Beckloff officially admitted the will for probate. The action starts a 120-day clock for the will to be probated.

The will, written in 2002, places all of Michael Jackson's assets into a family trust benefiting his mother, his three children and unnamed charities.

Attorneys for the two sides -- McClain and Branca versus Katherine Jackson -- conferred on the estate dispute during a recess that stretched to more than 90 minutes, but when the hearing resumed, no agreement had been reached.

Katherine Jackson's attorneys filed a petition last week accusing the men who now control the estate of being "intent on keeping her in the dark" about deals they've made or are negotiating.
Londell McMillan, Jackson's lead attorney, raised questions about "a suspicious circle of relationships" involving Branca and McClain.

Beckloff has given Branca and McClain temporary control of the estate.

Katherine Jackson is asking the judge to order Branca, McClain and others to answer questions under oath about their business agreements to determine whether they are "fit and able" to administer the estate. The men also were served with a 19-page demand for documents including the AEG contracts.

Branca's lawyers argued that Katherine Jackson's demand for documents was too broad and burdensome. But, McMillan said, "such measures will not be necessary if Mrs. Jackson is appointed a co-executor of the estate."

McMillan, in an interview with CBS on Thursday, estimated that the Jackson estate was worth $2 billion, but the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $500 million.

A court hearing is set for Monday on some pending agreements negotiated concerning the estates.