Royal Family News: How Will Prince Andrew Pay For Sex Assault Lawsuit Settlement?

British royal family news reveals that Prince Andrew is a defendant in a sexual abuse lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre. After the judge refused to toss the case at his request, Andrew asked for a jury trial. Some royal and legal experts have speculated that the request was meant to force an out of court settlement, before a jury is even assembled. The majority of civil lawsuits brought in the US are settled out of court, will Andrew’s be one of them?

Royal Family News – Does Prince Andrew Want a Jury Trial?

Based on the speculation of a possible settlement, pundits are asking how Prince Andrew would pay what likely would be an enormous sum of money. According to Bloomberg, “The disgraced royal is facing seven-figure legal fees — at least — … while the cost of settling is expected to be well in excess of $5 million.”

In 2017 his personal fortune was estimated to be 5 million pounds ($6.8 million). Mitchell Epner is a former U.S. federal prosecutor and in his opinion, “He has no good options in front of him. He only has bad options, and he has to decide which is the best bad option.”

Still, according to Epner, “There’s also a chance that his team raise legal defenses that get him out of the case before trial. They have until late July to file summary judgment motions that might see a judge throw the case out, saving Prince Andrew millions in trial costs although his legal fees up to that point could be between $200,000 to $300,000 per month.”

Royal Family News – Does Prince Andrew Have A Good Option?

Meanwhile, Jerome Studer, an expert on attorneys’ fees, estimates that litigation could drag on resulting in a, “significant amount of fees, at least seven figures if not eight depending on how long the litigation goes.” He notes that the firm repping Andrew (Lavely & Singer PC) is an expensive firm with, “a reputation of being a bulldog and I would think that given the reputational issues at stake, they’re going to fight this really hard.” Andrew has denied the charges against him.

Royal Family News – Andrew Denies The Charges Against Him

According to the outlet, Prince Andrew’s only known income is a Royal Navy pension of 20,000 pounds, and a yearly allowance from his mother, Queen Elizabeth, of 250,000 pounds. It had previously been reported that his mother was paying his legal bills, but after a judge refused to toss the case, Buckingham Place distanced itself from the disgraced royal and stated he would face the case as a private citizen.

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