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Britney Spears – What If Her Dad’s the Bad Guy?

Posted on Feb 6, 2008 in Celebrity Justice

It's not news that Britney Spears hasn't been close with her parents, and that she doesn't trust her dad, Jamie Spears.  What if Jamie Spears is an evildoer, and Britney's right to distrust him?  Right now, he's acting as conservator of Britney's $40 million estate.... The New York Times and the BBC report that Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz ordered a psychiatric determination on Monday, to determine if Britney Spears is capable of making her own decisions.  This means that Commissioner Goetz has appointed a mental health professional of her choosing, to evaluate Britney and thereafter, report his/her professional findings back to the Court.  His deadline?  February 13. Why did Commissioner Goetz order this on Monday?  She's already placed Britney in a mental health facility, and she's already ordered Jamie Spears and local attorney Andrew Wallet to act as co-conservators of Britney's affairs. What if Britney's Dad, Jamie Spears, is the Bad Guy - and now, he's got her checkbook? Well, with Britney's divorce lawyers arguing that having her father involved in her affairs goes against her longstanding distrust of her father - and her express wishes - while her father is controlling her financial affairs, the Court may well need to have an independent analysis of Britney's ability to make sound choices. Plus, Barbara Streisand's cousin, lawyer Adam Streisand, came into court on Monday to argue that Britney did not want her dad to control her financial affairs while she was under psychiatric care, with Britney requesting her business manager and Northern Trust Bank to act as her co-conservators.  Seems reasonable, right? The court denied his request, on the basis that Britney lacked the legal capacity to make the decision on whether or not to hire an attorney: Streisand met with Britney after she had been hospitalized at UCLA. So, what is Commissioner Goetz doing to protect Britney, if indeed Jamie Spears is the Bad Guy?  Britney's choice of Northern Trust Bank and her business manager sure seems savvy, right? Well, the Commissioner isn't rubber stamping whatever Jamie Spears is putting before her. First, part of Britney's concerns have been met by placing an attorney as co-conservator alongside dad Jamie Spears.  This co-conservator will have a fiduciary duty to Britney to watch her father's actions and to insure that Britney's interests are being protected. If Britney's dad were to attempt any actions that were self-serving, then the co-conservator would be legally bound to stop him, and to bring the matter up before the Court.  Fast. What else is Commissioner doing?  She's got her own court investigator on the case.  Sam Ingham has spent time with Britney during her hospitalization, and it was his input that she wasn't capable of understanding the impact of hiring an attorney that helped the Judge decide to deny Streisand's request.  Presumably, Ingham is also considering the validity of Britney's arguments against her father and he's investigating Jamie Spears' past conduct to report to the Judge, as well. Finally, Jamie Spears' power isn't only limited by the watchful eyes of his co-conservator, attorney Andrew Wallet, it's also limited by time:  Jamie Spears has only been appointed as a "temporary conservator," and whether or not he stays in that position will be decided on February 14th, when the big Conservatorship hearing will be held.  �