Britney Spears' lawyer slams singer's father over legal fees demand
Dec 22, 2021
Washington [US], December 22 : Britney Spears' lawyer Mathew Rosengart has blasted her father, Jamie Spears, for his request to have Britney cover his legal fees following his suspension from her now-terminated conservatorship. The lawyer called out Jamie, describing his demand as "shameful".
Rosengart spoke about Jamie's demand in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter. He said, "The request is shameful. Mr Spears reaped many millions of dollars from Britney as a conservator, while paying his lawyers millions more, all from Britney's work and hard-earned money."
He added, "The conservatorship has been terminated and Mr Spears was suspended ignominiously. Under the circumstances, his petition is not only legally meritless, it is an abomination. Britney poignantly testified about the pain her father caused her and this only adds to it. This is not what a father who loves his daughter does."
In court documents filed on December 15 and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Jamie petitioned the court to cover the costs of his legal representation, who are "participating in proceedings concerning Jamie's ongoing fiduciary duties relating to winding up" the singer's conservatorship.
"Prompt payment on account of Jamie's attorneys' fees is necessary to ensure the Conservatorship can be wound up quickly and efficiently to allow Britney to take control of her life as she and Jamie desire," the petition stated.
As part of the stipulations of a conservatorship, the singer paid both her own and her father's legal bills and fees any time she took him to court over the legal arrangement.
It ended in September when Jamie filed to end his court conservatorship before he was suspended from his position as the pop star's conservator. Britney's conservatorship was then officially terminated in November this year by an LA judge.
The filings argued that "the fiduciary obligations Jamie owes did not end with his suspension or with the order terminating the Conservatorship" and that by not financially covering his legal representation, he would be subjected to "personal bankruptcy and ruin defending baseless claims."
"No person would ever want to step into the role as conservator if a conservatee could force a conservator to personally pay substantial legal fees defending unfounded allegations," the petition stated.
"Jamie should not be required to sacrifice his personal wellbeing defending his administration of the Estate where each of his actions have thus far been made with the counsel and approval of others in these proceedings including the Court," the filing continued.
The petition follows requests made by the Grammy-winning singer over the past decade, which reached their public height in the last year, to have her father removed as conservator of both her person and estate.
In a speech during a June court hearing, Britney spoke for herself in court, sharing that she was "traumatized" by an "abusive" conservatorship after being made to tour and change her medications against her consent, among other things.
Spears was first placed under conservatorship in 2008 with her father overseeing his daughter by the terms of the court-ordered arrangement. The next hearing is set for January 19 to address pending accounting and other lingering issues.
