We are talking about James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, and the shambles his estate was in for years after he died. In 2009, the first round of litigation ended with a settlement between Brown's survivors and the estate. The family received half, and the other half went to a charitable trust the singer wanted to establish. That settlement is now being challenged by the original trustees. The drama is unfolding in a court outside of Florida.

The estate has been troubled from the day Brown died. He had been estranged from his family for some time, and his relationship with his wife was complicated by rumors she was married to someone else when she and Brown were wed. The litigation dragged on for three years.

In an unusual twist, the state attorney general stepped in and brokered the settlement in 2009. It was clear to the judge who approved the deal that the fight could have gone on forever and no one would benefit from the $100 million Brown left behind.

As we discussed in our last post, the court appointed a special administrator to serve as trustee for the estate and for the charitable trust. The first thing the administrator did was to bring on a professional money manager who has managed to turn around the woefully depleted and debt-ridden estate.

The old trustees are arguing now that the attorney general had no authority to help hammer out the settlement. They claim, too, that they were removed as trustees because they had opposed the terms of the settlement.

The attorney general's office countered with the allegations we ran through in our last post. The original trustees had, in essence, grossly mismanaged the estate -- opposed to or enamored of the settlement, they would have to go. Court documents also say that the attorney general's involvement was appropriate because the beneficiaries of the trust -- needy children in the state -- are his responsibility.

The parties were to appear in court a couple of weeks ago. The outcome of their arguments has not been made public.

If the old trustees' claim fails, the trust should be able to award its first scholarships in 2012. Finally, Papa will have his brand new bag.

Source: Huffington Post, "James Brown's Estate Saddled By Debt," Susanne M. Schafer, Oct. 30, 2011