Despite termination of Britney Spears’ 13-year conservatorship with her father, Jamie, the latter has filed a lawsuit for the singer to continue paying his attorney fees.
Jamie in court documents obtained by Variety, asked that Britney’s estate make payments to his legal team for “ongoing fiduciary duties relating to the winding up of the Conservatorship of the Person and Estate.”
The document added;
“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 fiduciary obligations Jamie owes did not end with his suspension or with the order terminating the Conservatorship,” the petition continued, adding: “Payment of Jamie’s attorneys’ fees from the Estate is required regardless of the unsupported ad hominem vitriol lodged at him.”
However Britney’s attorney Mathew Rosengart has described Jamie’s request as “shameful.” He said in a statement;
“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.
“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.”
Spears was forced to foot her father’s legal bills for the duration of the 13-year conservatorship controlling virtually every aspect of her life, meaning she was put in the position of paying for both sides of her battle to free herself. Variety says that Spears’ attorney charges $1,200 per hour; it was not specified if one of Jamie’s attorneys named in the piece, Alex Weingarten, charged that figure.
The New York Times reported on Sunday December 19, that Jamie picked up a $40,000 loan from his daughter’s business manager Lou Taylor‘s firm, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, days before Spears was placed under the conservatorship in 2008. It’s unknown how Jamie, who had previously filed for bankruptcy, used the cash.
The Times estimated that Jamie made $6 million over 13 years, while Tri Star collected 5 percent of Britney’s “adjusted gross entertainment revenue,” during the same span.
Following the termination of his client’s conservatorship in November, Rosengart has vowed to get to the bottom of Jamie’s financial dealings as conservator; attempting to have Jamie give a deposition and subpoenaing Taylor and her Tri Star associate Robin Greenhill.
Discussion about this post