Tom Girardi Fires His Divorce Attorney And Hires His Brother To Represent Him In Ongoing Court Battle Against Erika Jayne!

Tom Girardi’s brother has stepped in to represent the lawyer in his divorce from “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star, Erika Jayne. Robert Girardi is currently the once-respected attorney’s conservator, and in an unexpected twist, is now legally representing him after moving to drop Tom’s divorce lawyer, Michael Abrams. Robert, an Orange County dentist, has never practiced law but told the court that he will now be repping his 82-year-old brother. 

Erika filed for divorce from Tom in November 2020, after a two-decade marriage. Shortly after the news of the breakup broke, class action firm Edelson PC accused the couple of embezzling settlement funds owed to families of the victims of Lion Air Flight 610, a crash that killed 189 people, in 2018. The law firm accused the couple of staging the split because they were “on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds.”

Tom and his law firm were forced into a Chapter 7 bankruptcy earlier this year, by multiple creditors. 

Robert was officially named Tom’s permanent conservator, in July. Robert filed letters of conservatorship, which legally allowed him control over his brother, his finances, and his estate. Legal documents revealed that a “major neurocognitive disorder” was the stated reason for the conservatorship.

“The Blast” reported in January that Robert asked the court to grant him control over his brother’s affairs because Tom was struggling to take care of himself. 

“Thomas V. Girardi (“Tom”) is a renowned trial lawyer, responsible for some of the most notable mass tort verdicts in California. However, at age 81, Tom’s current condition has sadly deteriorated to the point where he cannot care for himself without assistance. His short-term memory is severely compromised and, on information and belief, he is often not oriented as to date, time or place,” Robert said in January court documents. 

Tom moved out of his $13 million Pasadena mansion and into a senior living center in Burbank, California, in August. The move came only days after reports revealed that Tom had been federally disbarred by the California Federal Court. 

Tom and Erika’s divorce has been paused due to the ongoing bankruptcy case. Erika’s seeming hope for a large payout is dwindling, as multiple creditors are demanding to be paid first. 

In November, a judge signed off on an agreement that allows the surviving widows and orphans of the plane crash victims to personally sue the reality star. The lawsuit had previously been put on hold due to the ongoing Chapter 7 case.  

The Bravo star is also facing a separate $25 million lawsuit as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. In July, documents were filed that claimed that Erika and two of her companies, EJ Global LLC and Pretty Mess Inc, raked in jewelry and other assets purchased by Girardi Keese funds. Erika has denied that the firm transferred “$20M and more” into her business accounts.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is currently in production.

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