Aaron Carter Estate Showdown: Mother Loses Legal Battle to Ex-Girlfriend

Aaron Carter’s mother, Jane Schenck, has faced a legal setback in her dispute with his former fiancée over the singer’s estate.

Schenck had been engaged in a legal battle with Melanie Martin, Carter’s ex-fiancée, regarding the distribution of his estate following his tragic passing in 2022 at the age of 34.

Recently, a judge ruled against Schenck’s efforts to keep her late son’s estate from closing, according to court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail.

Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui concluded last month that Carter’s estate is insolvent, indicating that its debts exceed its assets.

The judge also decided that the estate’s non-cash assets should be awarded to Martin, who is the mother of Carter’s son, four-year-old Princeton ‘Prince’ Lyric Carter.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Schenck and Martin for comment.

Aaron Carter’s mother, Jane Schenck, has lot a legal battle with the late singer’s former fiancée over his estate disbursement, according to documents obtained by the Daily Mail; Schenck and Carter are pictured in 2019 in West Hollywood

A judge denied Schenck’s objection to closing Carter’s estate and ruled that any remaining non-cash assets would be distributed to Martin, who is the mother of Carter’s son Prince; Martin and Carter are pictured in February 2022 in Las Vegas

TMZ first reported on the judge’s order. 

Schenck had filed an objection in court back in February, in which she claimed that Martin had illegally taken $24,530 from Carter’s accounts.

According to Carter’s mother’s objection, Martin began withdrawing the funds two days after his death on November 5, 2022, and her final withdrawal was on November 29 of that year.

Schenck went on to claim that the administrator of Carter’s estate is ‘partial’ to Martin, citing an alleged offer to buy her late son’s publicity rights.

Carter’s mother wrote that she submitted an offer to buy the rights for $30,000 to the estate administrator, Aileen B. Federizo, in October of last year.

Although Schenck believed $30,000 to be a fair offer for the rights, both at the time of Carter’s death and as of October 2025, she said Federizo denied the offer outright over the phone but then never responded in writing to her emailed offer.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Federizo’s attorney to request comment.

Despite Schenck’s concerns about Martin, she stated in her objection that she had ‘been persuaded to believe that [Martin] is [a] good mother to Prince Carter, and that she takes care of his daily physical and emotional needs.’

Carter was found dead in his home’s bathtub on November 5, 2022. His death was ruled an accidental drowning, and he was found to have inhaled the refrigerant difluoroethane and taken Xanax before his death; pictured in 2019 in West Hollywood

Schenck had accused his ex of illegally withdrawing $24,530 from Carter’s bank account just days after his death. She also accused his estate administrator of undervaluing his assets and being ‘partial’ to Martin because her offer to buy his publicity rights was turned down; pictured in 2019 in West Hollywood 

Despite claiming that Martin had committed ‘financial improprieties,’ Schenck said that she ‘does not wish any legal harm to [Martin],’ and she said her only concern is for her grandson’s well-being; Martin is picturd in 2022 in Las Vegas

She also added that she ‘accepts her own fair share of blame for creating the bad relationship between her and [Martin].’ 

Despite claiming that Martin had committed ‘financial improprieties,’ Schenck said that she ‘does not wish any legal harm to [Martin],’ and she said her only concern is for her grandson’s well-being. 

Schenck had previously waged legal fights with her late son over money issues.

She and his father, Robert, had served as his managers for a decade, until the teen singer filed for emancipation while alleging that she had taken over $100,000 of his money without authorization.

But after his parents divorced in 2004, Carter dropped his petition and subsequently moved in with his father.

At the time, an attorney for the family announced that ‘All financial misunderstandings have been resolved between Aaron and his parents.’

Schenck also responded in a statement: ‘I’m looking forward to putting my family back together and working together side by side with all my children.’ 

Carter died at home on November 5, 2022, at age 34. He was found in a bathtub, and the medical examiner’s report later ruled his death an accidental drowning after he had consumed multiple drugs, including Xanax and the inhaled refrigerant difluoroethane.