The drama within the Presley family may not be over yet. Following the death of Lisa Marie in 2023, the fate of her estate came into question. That has since been resolved, but now Lisa Marie’s ex-husband, Michael Lockwood, is demanding that Riley Keough pay six figures in legal fees related to his and Lisa Marie’s children.
Lisa Marie, the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, had twins Harper and Finley with Lockwood in 2008. Lisa Marie had Riley with musician Danny Keough in 1989. During a legal dispute between Priscilla and Riley, Lockwood sought to be Guardian Ad Litem of the twins, now 15. With the dust “amicably” settled on that case, Lockwood wants Riley to pay legal fees to further support his guardianship.
Michael Lockwood wants Riley Keough to pay six figures in legal fees
“After Lisa Marie’s death, the Promenade Trust was the subject of litigation, primarily focused on who should be the trustee,” reads Lockwood’s petition, which demands he be paid a full $153k. “To protect and represent their interests in this litigation, Finley and Harper sought and secured the court appointment of their father, Michael Lockwood, to serve as their Guardian Ad Litem.”
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The petition goes on to note, “Through the significant efforts and contributions of the parties, including Mr. Lockwood and his counsel, all disputes surrounding Lisa Marie’s estate were amicably and efficiently resolved, and that settlement was approved by this Court on August 4, 2023.”
His lawyer asserted, “From the outset, Michael and his counsel played a central role in helping keep the parties focused on resolving those issues with minimal court intervention. Importantly, Michael was able to achieve his goal of ensuring the court issues were all resolved effectively and cost-efficiently so Finley and Harper would have the financial resources their mother intended.”
The ongoing context behind messy legal battles within the family
Lisa Marie and Lockwood had a troubled relationship prior to her death at the age of just 54, sparked by a prolonged custody battle for the twins; this had been going on since their 2016 split. According to OK! magazine, an insider claimed Riley was “furious” Lockwood had won custody of Harper and Finley.
Lockwood had hired the law firm RMO LLP when, as his petition asserts, he helped with the transition of estate administration to Keough. He now wants Keough to pay the bill for the legal fees he used to help her secure that estate.