French judge puts L'Oreal heiress under protection

COURBEVOIE, France (AP) — Lawyers for L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt say a judge has ordered the French billionaire and her fortune placed under the legal protection of her daughter and grandsons.

Bettencourt lawyer Jean-Rene Farthouat called Monday's decision by a judge in the western Paris suburb of Courbevoie "profoundly disappointing" and "quite simply criticizable."

Bettencourt's heirs reportedly are concerned about her health and management of her fortune, estimated at $20 billion by Forbes magazine.

The daughter, Francoise Meyers-Bettencourt, and her mother have tussled over the management of the fortune and late last year appeared to end a legal dispute over more than €1 billion ($1.3 billion).

Tags: entertainment, courts, money