Casey Anthony has agreed to pay $25,000 to her bankruptcy estate in lieu of selling the rights to her life story to pay off her debts. The money will go towards her creditors listed in her bankruptcy paperwork filed in Florida, where she resides. The lawyers handling her case had argued that selling the rights to her story would put the purchaser in a position of control over her, so a different payment arrangement needed to be made.
It was determined that lawyers on both sides could not find case law to support the legality of selling Anthony’s story, which she has reportedly been against. The judge presiding over the case determined that both sides could potentially have fallout from Anthony’s story being sold and ruled in favor of the $25,000 being paid instead.
Anthony is listed as “unemployed” in her bankruptcy paperwork. During her meeting of creditors, she stated that she relies on gift cards and money from strangers and that she stays with friends to help with her financial burden. She also stated that she has not received any financial payments from selling the rights to her story.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings generally do not require such a high lump sum payment to be paid out to creditors. A Chapter 7 filing can be a fresh financial start for those struggling with debt, and it liquidates unsecured debts to creditors. Anthony’s case is somewhat different from a standard Chapter 7 bankruptcy in that she has the potential to receive income through the rights of her story. Those who fall under the median income level without other means of receiving income generally qualify for a Chapter 7 filing.
Source: CBS News, “Casey Anthony agrees to pay $25K to bankruptcy estate to avoid selling her life story“, August 02, 2013