Britney Spears’ father Jamie filed a petition last week requesting that his daughter continue to pay his legal fees, just months after he was suspended as the conservator of her estate, Varietyreports.
“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 states. Britney was required by her 13-year conservatorship to cover the cost of her legal representation, as well as his, which included an attorney that charged around $1,200 per hour.
Jaime mentioned in the filing that he assumed the role of co-conservator at a time where Britney was “unquestionably incapacitated and victimized by persons seeking to take advantage of her incapacity.” In doing so, her father claims to have “dedicated himself to protecting his daughter’s health and her estate as he has done her whole life while keeping opportunistic and wholly self-interested parties at bay.”
“It would be contrary to public policy if Jamie’s years of dedication to protect his daughter…could subject him to personal bankruptcy and ruin defending baseless claims,” the filing reads. “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.”
Britney tearfully stated in a July court hearing that she was “extremely scared” of Jamie and wanted to remove him as her co-conservator and “press charges” against him for “conservatorship abuse.” During this same hearing, the singer was granted by the judge for the first time the option to pick her own lawyer. She chose Mathew Rosengart, who fired off a scathing response in regards to Jamie’s petition, calling the request an “abomination.”
“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,” Rosengart said, per Variety. “Under the circumstances, his petition is not only legally meritless, it is an abomination. This is not what a father who loves his daughter does.”
Rosengart previously filed a petition accusing Jamie of trying to implement a “quid pro quo” agreement in which he would remove himself as conservator in exchange for $2 million.
