Vanessa: Too Young to Know Better

Fri., Nov. 2, 2007 9:23 AM PDT by Sarah Hall

Vanessa Hudgens is playing the youth card.

The High School Musical star has filed court documents seeking to have a lawsuit brought against her by her former lawyer thrown out on the grounds that she was only 16 when she signed the contract. (View the court documents.)

Attorney Brian L. Schall sued Hudgens in September for breach of contract and unjust enrichment, claiming he helped the actress land songwriting and recording deals that netted her more than $5 million and that he advanced costs and expenses for the teen star during the period they worked together.

After signing with him in October 2005, he alleges Hudgens agreed to pay him 5 percent of her gross earnings from the aforementioned deals and to keep paying him up until 12 months after their lawyer-client relationship had ended.

He claims Hudgens paid him some of the money but still owes him in the neighborhood of $150,000, plus various other fees.

Hudgens counters in her court documents that she fired Schall earlier this year after determining his services were "below professional standards, resulting in a breakdown of their relationship."

She included a copy of her birth certificate with her filing, showing her birthdate of Dec. 14, 1988, as well as a copy of a letter she sent to Schall on Oct. 9, officially disaffirming their contract.

Hudgens' lawyer, Evan N. Spiegel, cited California's Family Code, which "provides that the contract of a minor is voidable and may be disaffirmed before [age 18] or within a reasonable time afterward."

A hearing on the actress' motion for dismissal has been set for Dec. 5.

All in all, it hasn't been the best back-to-school season for Hudgens.

In addition to her legal hangup with Schall, there's the matter of those nude photos that made the rounds on the Internet in September.

Luckily for the actress, Disney—the force behind High School Musical—stood behind her during the scandal, and she is still slated to appear as Gabriella Montez in the upcoming third film in the franchise.

However, a Disney Channel spokesperson wouldn't confirm an Us Weekly report that Hudgens has been given a fat raise to reprise her role, a deal that would put to rest rumors that there are a number of starlets in line to take her place.

"The cast is still in negotiations and we have no further comment," the network said in a statement to E! News.