Priscilla Presley And the Truth Abut Her Court Battle

Two weeks after the tragic death of Lisa Marie Presley, her mother Priscilla Presley filed a petition with the Los Angeles Superior Court to dismiss a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s trust, which removed Priscilla as one of the trustees.

This effectively made Riley Keough the sole trustee following the death of her brother Benjamin Keough in 2020.

Among the points made by Priscilla to dismiss the lawsuit are ones where she claims she wasn’t made aware of the amendment and that Lisa Marie’s signature appears splodged enough to have been a forgery. So far, we don’t know what Riley thinks about all this, so here’s a trust expert’s reaction to the court details.

Benny Roshan – Discusses Priscilla Presley’s Sparse Court Petition

Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Benny Roshan, who is chair of Greenberg Glusker’s trusts and probate litigation group, analyzed what he called Priscilla Presley’s factually devoid petition.

“Were Priscilla and Lisa Marie close enough that Lisa Marie would have shared minute details of her estate plan with her mother? How does Riley Keough — Lisa Marie’s daughter, who replaced Priscilla as a successor trustee — feel about Priscilla’s petition and the relief it seeks? None of these questions are addressed in Priscilla’s filing,” he noted.

Roshan continued, “Probate hearings are generally set a few months in advance to allow for all interested persons in the action to appear and voice their positions. Priscilla’s petition was initially set for hearing on April 13.”

“As a probate litigator, I was waiting with bated breath to see whether Riley, in particular, would file a response. However, a review of the court docket indicated that a response to Priscilla’s petition has yet to be filed and that the hearing has been pushed to May.

On April 13, however, the court addressed a petition from Lisa Marie’s ex-husband Michael Lockwood to be appointed as the guardian ad litem (“GAL,” or legal representative) for their 14-year-old twins.”

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Benny Roshan – Then Questioned The Intentions Behind Lockwood’s “Unopposed” Petition, Which Was Granted By The Court The Following Monday.

“What I found most interesting in the court records was the fact that the court staff attorney picked up on a statement in Lockwood’s petition that he “is not subject to any conflict of interest, as he is not a beneficiary of the trust.” I may be a total cynic here, but this nugget could be a possible downside to Lockwood’s appointment. In other words, can the court and parties really trust Lockwood’s self-serving statement that he is conflict-free?

Is it sufficient that he’s not a beneficiary of Lisa Marie’s trust established for the benefit of her children? Should the fact that they were embroiled in a custody battle during her lifetime matter?”

He then added that probate litigation should be focused on the decedent’s intent and honoring that intent. “What is most surprising to me is that I don’t see anything in the record indicating that anyone tried to determine and effectuate Lisa Marie’s wishes with regard to Lockwood’s appointment as GAL.”

Maybe Lisa Marie, whose relationship with ex-husband Lockwood was not amicable before her death, would not mind that he is representing their underaged twin girls? What do you think?

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with Lisa Marie Presley right now. Come back here often for all Lisa Marie Presley spoilers, news, and updates.

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