Cher's conservatorship case against son Elijah Blue Allman delayed

Cher's ongoing effort to secure a California conservatorship over her son Elijah Blue Allman's finances hit a procedural pause on Tuesday, with a Los Angeles judge continuing the matter to December 1 after Allman failed to appear in court, either in person or remotely.

Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui noted that Allman had previously told the court he wished to represent himself, but that she'd explained that wasn't permissible and that he needed legal representation. 

She had ordered attorney Steven Brumer to appear on Allman's behalf, warning that the court would reappoint counsel if he failed to show. 

"Mr. Brumer is not here today, Mr. Allman is not here today, I am going to reappoint council," Uzcategui said, adding that because neither Allman nor a representative was present, "I am simply going to continue this matter. He is entitled to have someone here for today's hearing." 

The new December 1 hearing date coincidentally falls on Allman's wedding anniversary with his on-again, off-again wife, Marieangela King, who was present in the courtroom Tuesday to support him.

The hearing came just days after Cher formally asked the California court to pause the proceedings for roughly 120 days while a separate guardianship case unfolds in New Hampshire. 

In an August 28 supplemental filing obtained by Page Six, Cher revealed that New Hampshire State Hospital initiated guardianship proceedings covering both Allman's person and estate back on July 7, and that she is seeking to have his half-brothers, Chaz Bono and Devon Allman, appointed as his guardians there. 

According to the filing, there is no longer any dispute in New Hampshire over whether Elijah needs a guardianship, the remaining question is who should serve in that role, including whether King is a suitable candidate.

Cher's attorneys said it remains unclear how long that New Hampshire guardianship will last, and indicated that if it becomes permanent and adequately protects her son, Cher may ultimately drop her California petition, if it proves temporary, however, she intends to keep pursuing conservatorship in California "for his protection."

Cher, 80, first sought conservatorship over Allman's estate in 2023, arguing it was necessary to protect the roughly $120,000 he receives annually from a trust established by his late father, Gregg Allman. 

She has alleged her son is "gravely disabled" and that his condition has worsened significantly since her initial filing, claiming his drug dependency is "at its worst" and that he routinely exhausts trust distributions almost immediately after receiving them. 

A court-appointed investigator previously reviewed Allman's medical records as part of the case, with sealed reports filed in June.

King filed a formal objection to Cher's petition in July, arguing a California conservatorship is unnecessary given that Allman has remained in New Hampshire receiving treatment under court supervision, with his trust already professionally managed. 

She asked the court to dismiss or pause the case, and alternatively requested that she be appointed conservator herself if the court determines one is needed. 

Cher's attorneys pushed back sharply on that request in the new filing, calling King "unfit to serve as conservator" and alleging she had been estranged from Allman and pursuing divorce during his crisis, while failing to assist his caregiver, Kayti Pease, despite repeated requests. 

The filing further accused King of viewing the situation as "a financial opportunity to control his income" and claimed Allman has refused to meet with her three separate times during his hospitalization. 

According to Cher's team, both New Hampshire State Hospital and the rest of Allman's family remain firmly opposed to King serving as his guardian.

Court records referenced in King's earlier objection show a New Hampshire guardianship petition involving Bono and Devon Allman was conditionally granted on July 17, pending each man posting a $10,000 fiduciary bond, Bono's bond was approved by July 20, while Devon's was still pending at that time. 

King has said she wasn't given proper notice of those New Hampshire proceedings, and that the matter was paused after she raised the issue so she could be heard. 

Cher's latest filing indicates a future New Hampshire hearing will ultimately determine whether King can serve as guardian, meaning that question remains unresolved.

The conservatorship dispute follows Allman's arrest on February 27 at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, where he was booked on two counts of simple assault along with charges of criminal trespass, criminal threatening and disorderly conduct after police responded to reports of an unwanted guest behaving belligerently on campus. 

That criminal case remains ongoing.