Britney Spears: dad keeps control, Sam Lufti kept away
Britney Spears‘ legal team have failed in their attempt to remove her dad Jamie Spears from control of her estate - but in turn, he hasn’t been given the power to fire them.
Jamie Spears and lawyer Andrew Wallet were given co-conservator status over Britney in a hearing on Friday but her own lawyers with the firm Trope and Trope argue that the men aren’t suitable for the role. Trope and Trope, working with an estate lawyer Adam Streisand, claim Britney has a strong distrust and dislike of her father after years of bickering and has expressed a “strong desire” for him to be removed from the position. Streisand also claims Wallet “simply doesn’t have the knowledge” to manage Britney’s estate. Streisand suggests that the Northern Bank Trust and Howard Grossman, her business manager, should act as conservators in their place.
But according to a court spokesperson, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz “felt Mr Streisand had no standing to represent Ms Spears”. A court-appointed lawyer acting as an impartial voice on Britney’s behalf argued that after meeting with the singer at the weekend, he felt she “does not understand the nature of the proceedings” or their possible imapct and “lacks the capacity” to appoint Streisand to represent her.
Jamie and Andrew’s conservatorship has now been extended until 14th February when Britney’s involuntary hold at the UCLA Medical Center comes to an end but it may be extended following a mental evaluation on 13th February. Jamie and Andrew have full control over Britney’s estate and well-being but have not been given the authority to fire Trope and Trope, who are handling the star’s ongoing custody battle.
In other news from yesterday’s court hearings, the restraining order against Britney’s friend Sam Lufti bars him from having any contact with the star including over email or phone. However, the conservators’ lawyers have had difficult in serving the order to Sam as he is refusing to accept the legal papers. The restraining order, initially ordered on Friday, was broken when Sam spoke to Britney over the phone at the weekend and the court has ordered another attempt to serve him with the documents.
The conservators also seem to have barred Britney’s on-off boyfling Adnan Ghalib from visiting her in hospital. The paparazzo was spotted arriving at the facility yesterday afternoon with a bunch of pink roses but after around twenty minutes inside the hospital, he reemerged looking “very upset”.
A source told OK magazine that Adnan’s request to visit with the star was refused and he “looked very, very sad” when he left the hospital: “He didn’t talk to anyone and tried to avoid having his picture taken. He was very upset.”
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