Michael Jackson has been given 25 days to submit financial information to a California law firm or face handing over massive unpaid legal fees.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Jackson to provide records of the firm Ayscough and Marar – which worked for him during his child molestation case in 2005 – or pay the $ 256,000 (Rs 1 crore, approximately) in unpaid legal fees the firm were awarded in a judgement against him in July.
Judge James C. Chalfant said: "While the court has no reason to doubt the sincerity of the representations of his attorneys, the fact of the matter is that under law, Jackson must provide further responses to the law firm’s request, particularly since he agreed to do so through the meet-and-confer process."
Jackson’s lawyer Marshall L Brubacher told the judge his client would be able to come up with the funds in nine days, once he has finished the refinancing of his Neverland Ranch in California.
Brubacher also said sorting through Jackson’s financial documents could take longer than 25 days. In July, Jackson was ordered to pay the firm $ 216,837 (Rs 85.19 lakh approx) in unpaid legal fees and $ 39,177 (Rs 15.39 lakh approx) in interest.
Jackson is already appealing a second judgement passed in October 2007 ordering him to cover the $175,000 (Rs 68.75 lakh approx) in lawyer’s fees that the firm spent hiring outside lawyers for the case.