Britney to Fight for Her Prerogative

Sources say Britney is looking to present "compelling evidence" at Thursday's hearing to end conservatorship

By Natalie Finn Feb 14, 2008 4:54 AMTags

Britney Spears doesn't want to be a slave 4 anyone.  

A source close to the situation tells E! News that the beleaguered songstress hopes her attorney will head into court Thursday—the day Jamie Spears' temporary conservatorship initially expires—with "compelling evidence" showing she is fit to take back control of her own life.

Britney is "getting along great" with mom Lynne, but resents her father's interference in her personal and financial affairs, the source said. Jamie was placed in charge of her welfare on Feb. 1 while she was still under observation at UCLA Medical Center. 

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz has since upheld her father's argument that Britney wasn't fit to hire her own counsel to fight the conservatorship; Goetz has also given Jamie and coconservator Andrew Wallet the power to fire Britney's business manager, Howard Grossman.

E! News has learned that a court representative has evaluated Britney and a status report summing up the results was turned in Wednesday and will be evaluated by Goetz at Thursday's hearing, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. PT. 

"Britney will have to show evidence proving she is able to make decisions on her own," says legal expert Steve Cron, who is not directly involved in the Spears case. "The commissioner could end the conservatorship, or just set another hearing date while she considers the evidence. It really could go either way."

But apparently Britney really wants her zone to herself again.

The "Gimme More" singer is "just fooling her parents" at the moment, the insider said. 

She "is telling her friends she wants the conservatorship to end. She keeps talking about it. She is behaving herself because she wants to get her [life] back together and get rid of her dad."

But Britney and Lynne's relationship at least appears to be back on track. The pair were spotted shopping together in West Hollywood this week and, on Wednesday, Lynne accompanied her daughter to her third dance lesson in as many days at Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood, where she's been working with a group of youngsters, ages four to seven. 

"The class was phenomenal" and the kids "had a blast," says studio director Robert Baker. "Her mom was there and she looked to be enjoying herself watching Brit teach the kids."

And Britney's habits, however healthily improved, aren't the only ones that have been affected by her parents' newly in-depth involvement in her life. 

Multiple sources tell E! News the usually ubiquitous Sam Lutfi, who has yet to be served with the restraining order Jamie and Lynne obtained against him nearly two weeks ago, is "lying especially low" since the release on Monday of court documents alleging he had demanded money from Britney's business manager.

And, according to those close to her, if things go Britney's way, she's planning a celebration dinner with friends—once she's able to judge for herself whom to hang out with—for Friday night.