Britney Unable to Fight Daddy Day Care

Mon., Feb. 4, 2008 4:12 PM PST by Natalie Finn

Britney Spears can't do it on her own.

The troubled songbird's estate will remain under the control of her father, Jamie, and a court-appointed attorney despite her efforts to oust the duo and retain control herself.

"The temporary conservatorship involving Ms. Spears has been extended until a hearing on Feb. 14," said Los Angeles Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini after a hearing Monday afternoon.

"A court-appointed physician was assigned to evaluate her competence to make her own decisions. The physican's report is due to the court on Feb. 13."

Parachini added that Britney is "ordered to have no contact whatsoever, direct or indirect by phone, email or text messages with Sam Lutfi."

Court Commissioner Reva Goetz tapped Jamie Spears and Andrew Wallett as interim guardians of the 26-year-old's welfare after deeming her incapable of caring for herself at this time. The order was initially approved only through Monday. But Britney's initial 72-hour hospital stay was increased by two weeks on Sunday, hence the hearing to extend the conservatorship.

Immediately after their appointment last week, the elder Spears and Wallett obtained a restraining order barring Lutfi from contacting Britney. However, they have been unable serve him—the manager/sidekick has been dodging the process server—and he was believed to have been in touch with Britney over the weekend.

An attorney named Adam Streisand appeared before Goetz on Monday and claimed he was retained by Spears over the weekend.

She "expressed to me her very strong desire" that her father not be named conservator of her estate, said Streisand (reportedly a distant relation of Barbra).

"There has been an estrangement for quite some time. With him as conservator, that is causing her more agitation and more distress."

Streisand asked the court to appoint Northern Trust Bank and Spears' business manager, Howard Grossman, as conservators instead. The new face on the Spears scene said the estimated value of his client's estate is $40 million, including 15 different businesses.

Jamie Spears' counsel, in turn, argued that Spears' daughter not have the capacity to make decisions regarding her welfare at this time, meaning Streisand's hiring is not valid.

Bolstering the argument was Samuel Ingham, a court-appointed attorney sepcializing in such cases. He said he met with Britney on Sunday and determined the singer "lacks the capacity to retain counsel."

Goetz agreed and effectively bounced Streisand from the courtroom.

The session wasn't a complete wash for Britney. Jamie Spears' attempts to fire the legal firm in her custody case, Trope and Trope, was, at least for the time being, tabled by Goetz.

The afternoon hearing, which followed a morning session that resulted in no change in Spears' current custody arrangement with Kevin Federline, began at 1:38 p.m., about a half hour before the judge emptied the courtroom of press and other inquiring minds.

The "Toxic" singer has been at UCLA Medical Center since early Thursday morning, after Lutfi arranged with her psychiatrist and her legal camp to have her taken in for psychological evaluation.

—Additional reporting by Ken Baker and Jeanifer Hwang