A court ruling in the estate case of the late One Direction member has renewed focus on who will manage — and eventually inherit — his multimillion-dollar fortune.

Nearly seven months after Liam Payne’s passing, the court appointed his former partner, Cheryl, and music industry lawyer Richard Mark Bray as co-administrators of his estate. The decision has drawn public scrutiny amid ongoing questions about how his assets will be handled in the absence of a will.

Court documents obtained by People confirm that Cheryl and Bray were appointed on May 1. The documents indicate that Liam’s estate in the U.K. has a gross value of $38 million and a net value of approximately $32.2 million.

The court’s decision came under the rules of U.K. intestacy law. According to the BBC, if someone dies without a will, their children usually inherit the estate in the absence of a surviving spouse or civil partner. Liam was never married but had a son, Bear, with Cheryl.

As Bear’s mother and legal guardian, Cheryl was appointed to help oversee the estate on his behalf. The court granted them a limited form of authority, described as “to allow the administrator power to preserve the deceased’s estate until a general grant is made.”

This allows Cheryl and Bray to manage and protect the estate’s assets for now, but they cannot distribute any funds until the court issues full administration rights. News of the appointment quickly drew reactions online.

Some users questioned Cheryl’s involvement, with one writing, “They weren’t married, so tweedy should get nothing,” and another stating, “And nothing for his parents.” Another raised a similar question about why Liam’s parents and siblings were not part of the legal arrangements.

Others pointed to the difference between a romantic partner and a legal guardian.

One commenter noted, “I feel some kind of way, but the girlfriend doesn’t get anything just for being the girlfriend. His ex has his kid and they deserve that. If he had a will, I feel like he would have left everything to his son anyway. Maybe $1-2 mil for the girlfriend,” referring to Liam’s former girlfriend Kate Cassidy.

Some expressed confusion about U.K. inheritance laws and believed that living parents might get a share if there is no will. In contrast, others focused more on privacy. They criticized the public disclosure of estate details, arguing that the issue is “incredibly personal” and should remain private out of respect for the family.

Supporters defended Cheryl, highlighting her financial independence and role as Bear’s mother. “Cheryl Tweedy has her own money and fortune from her own self! People need to keep 👃 out as she is the mother of his little boy, unbelievable! Nothing to do with anyone else, humans ruin this world 🌍 [sic],” wrote one supporter.

One user felt Cheryl’s involvement would help ensure the assets ultimately benefit Liam’s son, while also suggesting that his parents and siblings should receive a share. Another agreed that her appointment made sense, given that she is the mother of Liam’s only child.

Liam’s sudden death in October 2024 sent shockwaves through the music industry and prompted an emotional response from those closest to him. The 31-year-old singer died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Emergency responders arrived within minutes of a call reporting a man behaving erratically, possibly under the influence. Liam was found in the hotel’s inner courtyard and pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later described his injuries as “incompatible with life.”

In the days that followed, Cheryl addressed the loss in a statement shared on Instagram. She voiced concern about the public response and the impact it could have on their child.

“What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past two days,” she wrote. “It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future.”

She described the grief as “indescribably painful” and emphasized that Liam was not just a public figure: he was “a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father” to their son.

Meanwhile, Liam’s sister, Nicola Payne, shared a deeply personal tribute on Instagram that reflected the strength of their sibling bond and the pain of losing him. She described feeling immediate disbelief when she learned of his death.

“When I saw the news pop up on my phone that you had left us I went cold, I wanted so much for this to be untrue. I have spent days hoping that it was a mistake and somebody has got it wrong,” she shared.

As tributes poured in after his death, Nicola pointed to the overwhelming support as proof of the impact he had, “You have always shown kindness to everyone you met and it shows with just how many people have confirmed what we always knew!”

Nicola also reflected on Liam’s joy at becoming an uncle, especially around the birth of her daughter, Ffion. She recalled how excited he had been to meet her and how, that night, they exchanged jokes and shared laughter, something he instinctively offered in moments when “we all needed” it.

Despite his fame, Nicola said Liam’s family never treated him like a celebrity. “We don’t have many pictures together as we never really did that as a family, we never wanted you to feel like you were in a room of fans, but we were your biggest fans always and forever,” she explained.

She concluded her message with a promise to keep Liam’s memory alive for his son, “We will make sure Bear knows about his daddy and how much you loved him, we promise this.”

Liam was laid to rest in November 2024 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Surrounded by close friends and family, his funeral marked a quiet, personal farewell to a life lived largely in the public eye.

As Liam’s family mourned publicly, investigations into his death continued in both the UK and Argentina. In January 2025, a UK inquest confirmed his medical cause of death as polytrauma — multiple traumatic injuries affecting the body and organs — as determined by Dr. Roberto Victor Cohen.

Senior Coroner Crispin Butler said it could take time to learn more, as the investigation in Argentina was still ongoing. Prosecutors there later charged five people, including hotel staff and one of Liam’s acquaintances, with offenses ranging from manslaughter to drug supply.