Lawyers claim Jackson owes them money

Michael Jackson is being sued by his former entertainment lawyers who claim the US singer owes them more than $113,000 (€84,000).

The law firm Lavely & Singer of Los Angeles says Jackson agreed in arbitration last year to pay them $180,000 (€133,000) in three instalments.

Jackson failed to make the final payment of €84,000 before the July 31, 2007, deadline stipulated in the settlement, the firm alleges in a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A message left for Jackson’s publicist, Raymone Bain, was not immediately returned yesterday.

His lawyer, Christopher Mellott, could not be reached. A judge last month ordered the 48-year-old pop singer to pay more than $256,000 (€190,000) in legal fees to another firm that handled some side issues during his 2005 child molestation trial.

Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges in the case.