Lisa Marie Presley Child Support Battle May Continue — This Time in Probate Court
Jan. 14 2023, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Since the brutal brawl over Lisa Marie Presley's child custody payments is officially over – a new potential battle could erupt if ex-husband Michael Lockwood goes after her estate in Probate Court, legal experts exclusively tell RadarOnline.com.
Lisa Marie, who suddenly died Thursday at age 54, was embroiled in a ferocious legal duel with Lockwood’s petition for an increase in monthly child custody payments.
With her death, the case in Los Angeles Superior Court is now officially over — along with the monthly child custody payments of $6,000, experts say.
“For all intents and purposes, the case dies with the litigant so there is no case here anymore,” famed divorce lawyer Raoul Felder tells RadarOnline.com “It’s not like you are fighting for a car that passes on to a next owner – it doesn’t work that way.”
But that doesn’t stop Lockwood from seeking the child custody payments to help raise 11-year-old twins Harper and Finley – the children they shared in a court ordered 60-40 custody arrangement since their 2016 split and eventual bare knuckle divorce settlement.
“Once someone dies the family law case dies with it,” renowned LA lawyer David J. Glass tells RadarOnline.com. “In terms of custody, he now has a presumptive 100 percent custody of the kids. In some cases, if she has a sizable estate that is still generating income, interests, residuals, royalties, or those things he could bring a case in Probate Court to have the child support paid from her continuing income.”
“He’d have to start all over,” he added. “He’d have to say: ‘I now have 100 percent custody; I make X amount a year and I understand my ex-wife’s estate makes Y a year – I’m asking for child support to be ordered against her estate.’”
Complicating matters even more, it is unknown if the trust established by Elvis Presley included his grandchildren or whether Lisa Marie created her own living trust for the twins, the expert said.
“(Lockwood) has an obligation to maximize his earnings to support his kids,” Glass said.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Lisa Marie owes about $3 million to creditors – including $1 million in back taxes – and in 2004 she sold off 85% of her interest in Elvis’ estate for about $100 million.
But for years, Lockwood has charged Lisa Marie is loaded – controlling a trust set up by the Love Me Tender singer worth $60 million and maintaining ownership in Graceland, along with a separate hotel on the property.
The legal experts also said Priscilla Presley can make a play for custody/guardianship of the twins – but her chances of succeeding are very slim. She has a better chance seeking visitation if Lockwood denies her the right.
“It’s almost an impossible case to win because you have to show the court that the surviving parent is completely incompetent and they have no ability to take care of the children – that’s either a serious psychiatric disorder, a drug or alcohol problem,” Glass said.
“It’s an extremely hard case to convince a court to take the kids away from a biological parent and give them to a grandparent, or aunt or uncle.”
Other sources have suggested that Lisa Marie's ex-husband Danny Keough may also attempt to claim custody.
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However, according to Presley family sources per TMZ, Lockwood isn't about to let any of that happen and is planning to go to court for full custody of the twins.
"It'll be a cold day in hell before he gives up custody of those children," the source revealed.
