Prince was recently honored by the Recording Academy with his very own tribute show featuring performances by Usher, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and more. Since the untimely passing of The Purple One, his estate has quietly released some of his recordings including the likes of songs like "Why The Butterflies" and "Don't Let Him Fool Ya." Despite some bumps in the road, Prince's Estate has been handled exceptionally well. Unfortunately, now, one lawyer has hit the estate with a lien claiming that Prince's late brother, Alfred Jackson, owes him close to $1 million in unpaid legal fees.
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According to court documents obtained by The Blast, an attorney by the name of Justin Bruntjen worked with Prince's half-brother, Alfred Jackson, pertaining to various legal matters and has officially filed a notice of attorney lien with the Prince Estate. In Aug. 2019, Jackson sadly passed away from natural causes without paying his legal fees.
Alfred Jackson was one of six siblings with a share within the Prince Estate which has caused attorney Justin Bruntjen to place a claim on the estate in hopes to receive his compensation. The court documents claim that Bruntjen worked with Jackson from April 2016 to Nov. 2018 as it states:
"As of this date, the unpaid legal services and costs total $903,640.25 exclusive of any costs of collection. This amount does not include any fees and costs that Justin Bruntjen was awarded by the Court for work that benefitted the Estate as a whole." The lien continues, "...in the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson, including any right to receive payments, property, proceeds, money or value of any kind, for agreed compensation for such services as were rendered by Justin Bruntjen respecting Alfred Jackson’s interest in the Estate."
This isn't the first time that Prince’s heirs have found themselves in legal disputes with lawyers. Prince's sister, Tyka was ordered to pay $850,000 to various legal counselors who helped her with the estate. She later sold a portion of her interest in the estate to a third party which caused more conflict between attorneys and the estate.
Hopefully, the debt can be settled amicably and Prince will be able to continue to rest in peace. Check out the audio clip of Prince's first manager, Owen Husney, discovering the supremely gifted musician in the Instagram post provided below.