Ghislaine Maxwell returned to court on Friday for a virtual hearing in her lawsuit against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
Ghislaine Maxwell is still pursuing her lawsuit against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein despite her attorneys withdrawing from the case back in August 2022.
The British-born, convicted felon, 61, attended a status conference for that case in the Virgin Islands on Friday, appearing virtually from the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tallahassee.
Maxwell also served as her own lawyer for the proceedings, which lasted a total of four minutes.
The conference began promptly at 10 a.m., with the court inquiring if Maxwell wished to proceed with her lawsuit against Epstein's estate or squash it, according to the clerk's notes obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Maxwell expressed her desire to continue with the suit and then asked the court if there could be a 60-day stay in the proceedings as she attempts to hire a new lawyer.
She has been without representation since last year, when her lawyers withdrew from the case and filed a lawsuit in Colorado seeking $878,302.66 from the socialite-turned-sex-offender in unpaid legal bills.
By then, she had already been sentenced to 20 years in prison on federal charges after a much-publicized trial in the Southern District of New York.
The jury ultimately found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts: sex trafficking of a minor, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and three related counts of conspiracy.
GHISLAINE MAXWELL RECORD OF PROCEEDING - MARCH 17
Maxwell filed her lawsuit back in March 2020, saying in her complaint that the estate failed to provide her with funds despite the deceased pedophile promising to bankroll her for life.
At the time, Maxwell demanded that the estate cover all her legal and security costs now and moving forward.
"Maxwell receives regular threats to her life and safety, which have required her to hire personal security services and find safe accommodation," reads the complaint.
That expense should now be significantly reduced given her new residence at an FCI.
The complaint claims that Maxwell worked for Epstein until 2004, but really started to transition out of the job three years prior.
When she did leave, Maxwell claims in her complaint that Epstein promised to provide for her moving forward, and alleged that he did just that when she was later sued by two of his victims, Sarah Ransome and Virginia Roberts.
"In approximately 2004, Maxwell received a typewritten letter from Epstein with a handwritten note asking Maxwell to remain in Epstein’s employ and promising that no matter what Maxwell chose to do, Epstein would always support Maxwell financially," reads the complaint.
In the filing, Maxwell states that these lawsuits began to pile up after Epstein's 2007 plea deal in Palm Beach.
"Maxwell has incurred and will continue to incur significant legal fees, personal security costs, and other costs in connection with legal suits, proceedings and investigations relating to Epstein, his affiliated businesses, and his alleged victims," states the complaint.
Maxwell writes that the impetus for all this was an invoice she sent the estate in November 2019 that got no response.
She also names the estate's executors — Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn — as co-defendants in her filing.
The estate and executors moved to have the case dismissed on the grounds that it was without merit soon after the complaint was filed in 2020.
Since then, the case has largely been stayed, and three years in the defense and prosecution have yet to even begin the discovery process according to court documents.
