Samuel Ingham III has been Britney Spears’ court-appointed attorney since her conservatorship began in 2008 — but hasn’t always been fans’ favorite.
More than one decade into her conservatorship battle, Ingham came under fire for his alleged lack of representation and inability to successfully get his client out from under her father, Jamie Spears, and other conservators’ control.
Adam Streisand, who almost represented Britney in her legal battle, exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2021 that he thinks Ingham has dropped the ball. Streisand spoke out in the “Framing Britney Spears” episode of The New York Times Presents documentary, saying that when he met the Grammy winner, he felt that she was “capable” of choosing her own counsel. However, the judge in the case disagreed and appointed Ingham.
“She didn’t want her father controlling her life. It was her one request,” Streisand told Us after his documentary appearance. “I tried to advocate for her. Why did it take Sam Ingham 12 years? If the judge thought she should have a different lawyer, fine. Be an advocate for your client, man. It’s the damn job.”
After the “Toxic” singer broke her silence on her ongoing conservatorship battle during her June 2021 court hearing, Ingham again came under scrutiny for his alleged inaction in the case.
“I didn’t know I could petition the conservatorship to be ended,” the musician told the judge during the hearing, hinting that her lawyer hadn’t told her the whole truth about her situation. “I’m sorry for my ignorance, but I honestly didn’t know that. My attorney says I can’t — it’s not good, I can’t let the public know anything they did to me.”
Britney claimed that Ingham, who has helped her move to get Jamie permanently removed as her conservator, has been “very scared” about her telling her side of the story, which included allegations against Jamie, the conservator of her estate, and Jodi Montgomery, who is the conservator of the singer’s person.
“He told me I should keep it to myself, really,” the Crossroads actress said of Ingham, noting she’s grown to have a “personal relationship with him” and that they talk often.
“I haven’t really had the opportunity by my own self to actually handpick my own lawyer by myself. And I would like to be able to do that,” Britney concluded, adding that her “main reason” for appearing in court was to “end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated.”
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