Michael Jackson's will filed in court

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Jackson's 7-year-old will was filed Wednesday in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to a family trust but cutting out his former wife Debbie Rowe.

The will, dated July 7, 2002, estimated his estate at that time at more than $500 million.

• Click here to read the will (.pdf format)

It gives the entire estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust.

The documents said Jackson's estate consisted almost entirely of "non-cash, non-liquid assets, including primarily an interest in a catalogue of music royalty rights which is currently being administered by Sony ATV, and the interests of various entities."

His mother, Katherine Jackson, is named as a beneficiary of the trust and the guardian of Jackson's children, who are named in the will.

Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50, left behind three children: son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and son Prince Michael II, 7. Rowe was the mother of the two oldest children; the youngest was born to a surrogate mother, who has never been identified.

The will names Diana Ross as a successor guardian to Jackson's mother if necessary.

It also names Jackson's longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, as co-executors of the will.

In a statement, Branca and McClain said: "The most important element of Michael's will is his unwavering desire that his mother, Katherine, become the legal guardian for his three children. As we work to carry out Michael's instructions to safeguard both the future of his children as well as the remarkable legacy he left us as an artist we ask that all matters involving his estate be handled with the dignity and the respect that Michael and his family deserve."

Katherine Jackson was granted temporary guardianship Monday of Jackson's three children. A judge held off on requests to control the children's estates, and gave her limited control over her son's troubled, but lucrative finances.

Rowe, who was married to Jackson in 1996 and filed for divorce three years later, surrendered her parental rights. An appeals court later found that was done in error, and Rowe and Jackson entered an out-of-court settlement in 2006.

Neither Rowe nor her attorneys have indicated whether she intends to seek custody of the two oldest children.

AP Source: No public Neverland memorial planned

MICHAEL R. BLOOD,Associated Press Writer

An effort to bury Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch has fizzled and it appears more likely a funeral and burial will take place in Los Angeles, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Authorities in Santa Barbara County had been preparing for tens of thousands of fans to descend on the 2,500-acre ranch after media reports that a public viewing would take place later this week.

But the person, who is not authorized to speak for the family and requested anonymity, said nothing is planned for Neverland at least through Friday.

The person said it appears more likely a funeral and burial will take place in Los Angeles. The family has the final say.

A private memorial service for family and friends could take place at the ranch, most likely after the funeral.

The person said billionaire Thomas Barrack, who owns Neverland in a joint venture with Jackson, sought an exemption to bury the singer at the ranch. But the person says it's a complicated process and it couldn't be done for a burial this week.

"The family is aware a Neverland burial is not possible. They are expected to make decisions about whatever funeral and memorial service" will take place, the source said.

It was not possible to rule out that Jackson's body might return to the ranch, either for the private service or a burial sometime in the future, if the family can get the go-ahead from state and local officials.

Asked about the possibility that Jackson could be cremated and the remains brought to the ranch, the person said, "That's not the plan."

The family would need to get permission from local land-use officials to bury Jackson on private property, then submit an application and paperwork with the state Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.

The state application would then need to be approved by the funeral board, a process that could take anywhere from seven to 30 days.

Kim Brown, a spokeswoman for the Department of Consumer Affairs, could not confirm any application had been filed by Jackson family representatives unless the certificate had been approved.

Heavy construction equipment and workers were seen passing through the wrought-iron gates of Neverland on Tuesday. The property is about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

At once a symbol of Jackson's success and excesses, Neverland — nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country — became the site of a makeshift memorial after his death Thursday.

Jackson's internment at Neverland would create a sort of Graceland West, recalling the final resting