Britney's father takes charge of her welfare after psychiatric evaluation

Published on Saturday 2 February 2008 19:04

THE father of troubled US pop singer Britney Spears has been put in charge of her welfare by a court.

A day after Spears was taken to a Los Angeles hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, her parents James and Lynne Spears attended a court hearing to decide how the star's affairs should be looked after while she undergoes treatment for her mental health problems.

The court also imposed a restraining order against Spears' manager and friend Sam Lutfi.

James Spears looked tearful when he was named conservator of his daughter, meaning he will take temporary control of all her affairs.

He and a lawyer, Andrew Wallet, were named conservators of Spears' estate.

James and Lynne Spears sat with attorney Blair Berk throughout yesterday's hearing, smiling and embracing after the announcement.

The events of the past two days were the first positive signs that Spears may have reached a turning point in a downward spiral of bizarre behaviour – all of it captured by paparazzi – that has resulted in losing custody and visitation rights to her two young sons.

Spears was taken on Thursday morning by paramedics with a heavy police escort to UCLA Medical Centre's psychiatric hospital.

It was the second trip to hospital this year for the 26-year-old singer, who has displayed some odd behaviour since November 2006, when she filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, the father of their sons, one-year-old Jayden James and two-year-old Sean Preston.

A court creates conservatorships when it determines that a person cannot care for themselves or handle their affairs. Commissioner Reva Goetz said Spears would be under conservatorship until Monday, at which time another hearing would be held.

"It is in the best interests of the conservatee to have conservatorship over her person," Goetz told a packed courtroom.

As conservator, her father will have the power to "restrict visitors", have round-the-clock security for Spears and have access to all medical records, Goetz said.

Conservators can consult with doctors on medication but the patient can refuse. Only in emergencies can someone be forcefully treated. Otherwise a court hearing must be scheduled to hammer out the issue.

"Being a conservator does not give them the power to force medication," said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Mental Health.

The court also issued a restraining order against Lutfi, Spears' sometime manager and friend, and gave her father permission to change the locks on her estate and remove anyone who was there.

Goetz said conservatorship was "necessary and appropriate". She gave approval for the conservator to "take all actions to secure all liquid assets including credit cards".