Britney Spears' lawyer resigns from conservatorship case

Washington [US], July 7 : Singer-songwriter Britney Spears' longtime court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham III, will resign from the pop star's conservatorship case.
As per People magazine, on Tuesday, Sam Ingham III asked to resign after serving as Spears' attorney since the start of her conservatorship 13 years ago.
Ingham did not provide a reason in the documents tendered to the court as to why he and his firm Loeb and Loeb, LLP. no longer wish to represent the singer.
He and the firm asked that their resignation goes into effect "upon the appointment of new court-appointed counsel".
Ingham filed paperwork on Tuesday, asking the Los Angeles Superior Court to dismiss him as Spears' legal representative. "Samuel D. Ingham III hereby resigns as court-appointed counsel for Britney Jean Spears, conservatee, effective upon the appointment of new court-appointed counsel," the court filings read.
Ingham has been representing Spears for the entirety of her 13-year conservatorship. In 2008, the court put the arrangement in place, with her father, Jamie Spears, as her sole conservator.
The attorney and Spears' working relationship came into question last month when the singer gave an explosive testimony, calling her conservatorship "abusive" and addressing the court for the first time ever in her 13-year conservatorship.
The news, which was first reported by TMZ, comes several weeks after Spears told the court that she never knew she could file to end the conservatorship.
"I want changes, I deserve changes. I was told I have to be sat down and evaluated again," she said on June 23, going on to address Judge Penny directly. "Ma'am, I didn't know I could petition the conservatorship to end. I honestly didn't know that."

"Honestly, I don't think I owe anyone to be evaluated," she added. "I've done more than enough."
She also spoke directly about her attorney during the hearing and mentioned that she wanted to be able to choose her own attorney.
"My lawyer, Sam (Ingham), has been very scared for me to go forward because he's saying if I speak up, I'm being overworked in that facility of that rehab place. He told me I should keep it to myself," Spears said, referring to a rehab facility she was put in several years ago.

"I would personally like to -- actually, I've grown with a personal relationship with Sam, my lawyer, I've been talking to him like three times a week now, we've kind of built a relationship but I haven't really had the opportunity by my own self to actually handpick my own lawyer by myself," she added. "And I would like to be able to do that."
Ingham's resignation also comes a day after her longtime manager Larry Rudolph resigned as her manager, citing Britney's desire to retire from music.
"It has been over 2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus," Rudolph wrote in the note.
"Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire," he said. "And as her manager, I believe it is in Britney's best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed."
Last week, Bessemer Trust, which had been selected as a co-conservator of Spears' estate back in November 2020, resigned from their post citing Spears' desire to end the conservatorship overall.
When speaking to People magazine regarding Spears' legal situation, family law attorney and former psychologist David Glass said Ingham was a "well-regarded" attorney in the probate court.
"Sam Ingham is well-regarded in Los Angeles in the probate court world. He's one of the top people," Glass previously told the outlet.
"Looking over the pleadings on the docket, he's been very careful for her but she's asking to replace him with private counsel and he's reported to the court, "If Ms. Spears asks me to do this, I will do it," Glass added.