Attorney Fees
Britney’s Lawyer: Big Tipper Federline Can Afford His Own Legal Fees
Posted Mar 11, 2008, 07:54 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The new lawyer representing Britney Spears in her child custody battle told a court that the singer's ex-husband should pay his own legal fees.
Lawyer Stacy Phillips told a court commissioner that Kevin Federline recently tipped a waiter $2,000 on a $365 check, showing his ability to pay, the Associated Press reports. "God bless!" Phillips said. "If he's willing to tip someone that much for serving him, he should be willing to pay his legal fees."
Phillips is also quibbling with the amount of Federline’s fee request. He is seeking almost $500,000, but Phillips says the amount should be no more than $175,000. She said Spears has already been saddled with nearly $1 million in legal bills by her own lawyers.
Federline's lead lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, and his partner are billing $600 an hour. He told the court the fees are justified based on the complexity of the issues. "If the court views this as a simple custody case, I'm in trouble," Kaplan said.