Judge denies Cher temporary conservatorship over son’s money

By Andrew Dalton, Associated Press

A judge on Monday rejected Cher’s request that her adult son be put into a court conservatorship controlling his money.

The Oscar and Grammy-winning singer and actress had argued in a petition that 47-year-old Elijah Blue Allman’s large payments from the trust of his late father, singer Gregg Allman, are putting him in danger because of his struggles with mental health and substance abuse.

But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica A Uzcategui was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed and declined the petition, though she will still consider a larger, long-term conservatorship at a hearing in March.

Cher observed the hearing remotely. She appeared on a large screen in the courtroom throughout, but did not take part in the arguments.

Mr Allman was in the courtroom with his his lawyers, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.

“We are thrilled that the court saw that he does not need a temporary conservatorship,” Mr Allman’s lawyer said as he stood alongside him outside the court. “He’s got a lot of support, he’s doing great.”

Cher’s lawyers argued that the support Mr Allman was getting was from people who tell him what he wants to hear and downplay the size of his problems.

They said his current apparent sobriety and mental health were illusory. They said he suffers from bipolar disorder, has been recently homeless, and that having large amounts of money might lead to access to drugs that could endanger his life.

Mr Allman and his lawyers have consistently argued since the petition was first filed in December that none of this is true.

The judge had already signalled at a hearing on January 5 that she was not inclined to establish a conservatorship, delaying the decision until Monday because documents had not been shared in time with Mr Allman’s lawyers.

Cher’s lawyers said she was not necessarily seeking any direct control over Mr Allman’s money, and would be happy to have a court-appointed fiduciary manage his finances. They did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the judge’s decision.

Court conservatorships, known as guardianships in some states, have come under far greater scrutiny in recent years after a temporary conservatorship imposed on Britney Spears in 2008 would end up leaving her without control of her money and major life decisions for nearly 14 years.