The assets of O.J. Simpson may be up for allocation in court, as a settlement ordered for the Goldman and Brown families has still not been fulfilled.
Following Simpson’s death on Thursday, ending his battle with cancer, the question of the rest of the $33.5 million judgment awarded to the families by a California civil jury is still up in the air, as Simpson had only paid a small portion of it. The settlement was issued to the family of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson along with the family of her friend Ron Goldman.
Now, the public is likely to learn more about Simpson’s finances, and the families may be granted some of it depending on how much there is for the court to collect.
Acquitted at a criminal trial, Simpson was found liable by jurors in a 1997 wrongful death lawsuit.
Simpson’s assets will now have to go through the probate process in court before his four children or any other intended heirs have access to them. The process may vary depending on what state the case is filed in.
Usually, it is filed in the place the person was living when they died, and in Simpson’s case, that’s Nevada. The law in Nevada states that an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000, or if any real estate is involved, and this must be done within 30 days of the death. If a family fails to file documents, creditors themselves can begin the process.
Once the case is in court, creditors who say they are owed money can then pursue a portion of the assets.
In regards to the Goldman and Brown families, they will be on equal footing with other creditors, and might have a more substantiated claim in the court’s view.
Previously, Simpson has asserted that he only lived on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of his valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, which sold for $230,000.
Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, the lead plaintiff of the case, has previously said that the issue was never about the money, rather, it was only about holding Simpson accountable.
“The hope for true accountability has ended,” he said in a statement on Thursday following Simpson’s death.
Simpson’s children have not yet publicly commented on the impending case and assets.
