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Britney Spears’ court appointed attorney resigns
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 7 July 2021
Britney Spears’ court-appointed attorney Sam Ingham has become the latest person involved in her affairs to resign. The move comes less than 24 hours after the resignation of the singer’s manager, and just days after the financial firm that co-manages the conservatorship that controls Spears’ career decisions, finances and personal affairs also asked to withdraw from that arrangement.
A document filed with the court overseeing the conservatorship yesterday reads: “Samuel D Ingham III hereby resigns as court-appointed counsel for Britney Jean Spears, conservatee, effective upon the appointment of new court-appointed counsel”. In the same document, the law firm with which Ingham works, Loeb & Loeb, also moves to withdraw from having any involvement in the conservatorship.
Ingham’s resignation follows both Spears’ own comments opposing her long-running legal guardianship, as well as a New Yorker article that accused him of reporting back to her father about his client from pretty much the start of the conservatorship in 2008, while also pointing out that the musician is forced to pay him an annual salary higher than her own living expenses.
When Spears made her public statement to the court last month, she called the system she is held under “abusive” and said that she is unable to live her life as she wants to – claiming that she is even being prohibited from getting married and having a baby by those tasked with her care.
She also said that she had never petitioned the court to end the conservatorship during the thirteen years she has been bound by it because she was unaware that that was something that she could do. The end of her relationship with Ingham may explain why she has still not formally begun that petitioning process, despite saying that she wants the conservatorship to end.
Earlier this week, Spears’ longtime manager, Larry Rudolph – who is not directly involved with the conservatorship – resigned after 25 years representing the singer. He said that he has not communicated with her for two and a half years and now understands that she wants to retire completely from her career in music and entertainment.
Meanwhile, last week, the finance firm that jointly manages Spears’ estate with her father Jamie – the Bessemer Trust – also requested to resign from the conservatorship. It cited her statements on the arrangement days earlier, saying that it had previously believed that she had consented to said arrangement, but now believed otherwise.
If the resignations of Bessemer, Igham and Loeb & Loeb are granted, those retaining involvement will be Jamie Spears – currently co-conservator of his daughter’s estate – and Jodi Montgomery – conservator of Spears’ personal affairs.
Though Jamie Spears has also requested a court investigation into Montgomery, deflecting criticisms of his daughter’s care onto her – despite Britney targeting him specifically in her statement.
Legal reps for Montgomery, meanwhile, issued a statement yesterday saying that their client “remains committed to steadfastly supporting Ms Spears in every way she can within the scope of her duties as a conservator of the person. Ms Spears as recently as yesterday has asked Ms Montgomery to continue to serve. Ms Montgomery will continue to serve as a conservator for as long as Ms Spears and the court desire her to do so”.
It remains to be seen how the judge overseeing the conservatorship now responds to the various requests to resign.
