Britney Spears’ lawyer has filed a move to quit as her lawyer, almost two weeks after the pop diva testified that she wanted to pick her own lawyer in her conservatorship. On Tuesday, Spears’ lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, told the Los Angeles County Superior Court that he will retire as soon as a new lawyer is assigned for the singer. Spears informed Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny on June 23 that she wanted the freedom to choose her own attorney. Spears claimed that Ingham urged her not to express her sentiments about the 13-year conservatorship, which she regarded as abusive and isolating. She also stated that she was not aware that she had the right to petition the court to have the conservatorship lifted. “I’m aware that my personal relationship with Sam, my lawyer, has improved. I’ve been talking to him around three times a week for the past few weeks “On June 23, Spears stated. “We’ve developed a rapport, but I haven’t got the chance to choose my own counsel. And it’s something I’d like to be able to do.” Ingham is the third member of Spears’ squad to resign in the previous week. Larry Rudolph, Spears’ longtime manager, announced his departure from her team in a letter to her co-conservators, her father, James “Jamie” Spears, and Jodi Montgomery. The singer had not talked with Rudolph in over two and a half years, when she told him she decided to take an indefinite work vacation, according to the letter, which was originally published by Deadline on Monday and then confirmed by NBC News. “I believe it is in Britney’s best interests for me to resign from her team because my professional services are no longer required,” Rudolph continued in his letter. The financial and wealth management firm Bessemer Trust, which was designated as co-conservator in Spears’ case, also filed a petition with the court, requesting to resign. The request, which was filed on Thursday, referenced Spears’ statement in which she stated that she wanted to regain control of her life. Bessemer stated that it entered the conservatorship because it “believed the parties’ assurances that the continued Conservatorship was voluntary.” Britney Spears “objects to the continuation of her Conservatorship and intends to terminate the Conservatorship,” according to the document, and Bessemer respects her wishes. NBC News has more on this: Britney Spears in court: I feel like I’m being ganged up on, bullied, and left out. Read Britney Spears’ entire anti-conservatorship remark is as follows: ‘I’m traumatized,’ says the speaker. Larry Rudolph, Britney Spears’ longtime manager, has resigned. Last year, Spears began the process of removing her father from her conservatorship after Ingham claimed that she was terrified of her father and would refuse to perform if he was in charge of her guardianship. Spears’ request was denied, but the court appointed Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator instead. In September of this year, Montgomery was designated as Spears’ temporary conservator-of-the-person. Jamie Spears has rejected any allegations of abuse on several occasions. He also asked the court last week for an investigation into his daughter’s complaints of mistreatment, claiming that Montgomery was the sole conservator in charge of the singer’s personal life and medical treatment since her appointment. Montgomery’s lawyer said in a statement that her client “has been a relentless advocate for Britney and for her well-being,” and that Montgomery “is and has always been ready, willing, and able to do so” if Spears wants any problem brought before the court. Montgomery’s attorney, Lauriann Wright, said in a statement Tuesday that her client had no plans to resign as conservator-of-the-person. “Within the limits of her obligations as a conservator of the person,” Wright stated, “she remains dedicated to resolutely helping Ms. Spears in every manner she can.” “Ms. Spears has urged Ms. Montgomery to continue serving as recently as yesterday. Ms. Montgomery will continue to act as a conservator for Ms. Spears and the Court as long as they want her to.” Fans have raised concerns about the singer’s conservatorship, culminating in the #FreeBritney movement in 2019, which gained national attention. Fans have expressed concern that what was supposed to be a temporary guardianship for Spears following her 2007 breakdown has been extended for the benefit of others, including her father. Spears pays the salaries of her conservators and all of the attorneys engaged in her conservatorship, which is known as a guardianship in some states. The New York Times’ “Framing Britney Spears” and the BBC’s “The Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash, and a Conservatorship” both published films this year that looked at Spears’ life and the circumstances surrounding her case. Both films examine Spears’ ascent to popularity, the media’s coverage of her personal life, and her current conservatorship case, but neither includes Spears. Until her June 23 testimony, when Spears stated she wanted to end the conservatorship without additional examinations, she had made few public comments about her personal opinions on the matter. “I honestly believe that this conservatorship is abusive, and that we may argue all day about how conservatorships are supposed to serve people. However, ma’am, there are a thousand conservatorships that are also abusive “she stated “I don’t think I’ll be able to live a full life if I don’t own it.”/n
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