Content Source: Bang Showbiz
A judge has denied Lisa Marie Presley’s lawyer’s request to dismiss the late singer’s custody battle with Michael Lockwood.
The 54-year-old star was still in dispute with her ex-husband – who she split from in 2016 after 10 years of marriage – over the care of their 14-year-old twin daughters Harper and Finley when she passed away earlier this year, and at a Zoom hearing on Tuesday (14.03.23), her legal representative Gary Fishbein told Judge Joseph Lipner that the case should be dismissed because nothing else regarding the custody battle is pending and his client is “sadly no longer with us”.
He noted that their marriage status was dissolved and the child support order survives.
However, a minute order obtained by The US Sun revealed the judge “declined to dismiss the action”.
The note read: “Counsel for Petitioner argued in favour of the Court dismissing the case in light of the death of their client.
“Later this date in chambers the Court rules as follows: The Court has considered the argument. Because the case has already proceeded to judgment on both the dissolution of status and other issues, the Court declines to dismiss the action.”
This means Michael – who was not present for the virtual hearing – is still able to go for full legal custody of the twins.
Sources previously told TMZ the girls have made it clear they want to live full-time with their father and his wife Stephanie Hobgood, as they have been doing since their mother passed away.
Last week Michael filed documents in Los Angeles County Superior Court to ask he be appointed guardian to represent his daughters at a probate court hearing next month, with Riley and Harper’s counsel filing a declaration in support of his petition.
The paperwork noted: “There is no conflict regarding appointment because the proposed guardian is not a beneficiary of the trust instrument at issue.”
