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Katherine Jackson Agrees to Joint Custody of Michael Jackson's Kids

By Andrew Chow, Esq. on July 27, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Katherine Jackson's custody battle over Michael Jackson's kids is apparently resolved, as the late King of Pop's mother has agreed to share guardianship, CNN reports.

Katherine Jackson, 82, will share custody of the children with her grandson T.J. Jackson, 34, the son of Michael's famous brother Tito, the grandmother's lawyer said. A judge granted T.J. Jackson temporary guardianship earlier this week after Katherine was reported missing.

The new proposed custody agreement is designed to relieve the grandmother of some of the "day-to-day tedium" that being a guardian entails, her lawyer said. Those tasks include:

  • Managing the security details for Prince, 15; Paris, 14; and Prince Michael II, 10;
  • Managing the Jackson family's household personnel, "the large staff that goes with such a high profile family," Katherine Jackson's child custody lawyer said in a statement; and
  • Dealing with all of the children's school-related matters.

By giving T.J. Jackson joint legal responsibility for these duties, Katherine will be able to "focus her attention on being a grandmother and raising Michael's children," her lawyer said.

Other responsibilities of a guardian include looking after a child's property, supporting the child financially, and authorizing the child's medical care -- in essence, whatever care a parent would have provided.

Katherine Jackson had been appointed guardian of Michael Jackson's children after the pop star's death in 2009. She was reported missing last weekend, but it turns out a few of her children -- Michael Jackson's siblings -- had taken her to a spa.

That prompted a judge to suspend Katherine Jackson's custody of the kids because of interference by others, CNN reports. The judge has now ordered a court investigator to interview the children before he makes a final decision on permanent guardianship, according to gossip website TMZ.

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