Hawaii's highest court has cleared the final roadblock to paying out the $4 billion Maui wildfire settlement, good news for survivors who have waited three years for money.

• Payments to fire survivors could start going out as early as next month.
• Nearly 22,000 people are waiting for their share of the settlement.
• The holdup was a fight over lawyer pay, not the settlement itself.
• Judge Peter Cahill capped most legal fees between 3 and 10 percent, far below the 25 percent normal under state law, and some lawyers fought back.
• The state Supreme Court ruled Cahill had the power to set that cap, ending the challenge.

Outlook: Survivors are pressing claims administrators to get checks out before the holidays, with awards expected within a month.