Britney Spears Gets a New Attorney – Again

Originally posted Tuesday February 19, 2008 05:55 PM EST

Once again, Britney Spears has a new lawyer: High-profile attorney Stacy D. Phillips became the latest to sign on for the custody case.

Phillips, who was approved by a court commissioner Tuesday, replaced Sorrell Trope, who quit after complaining of problems communicating with the troubled pop star.

A Columbia University law grad, Phillips represented Bobby Brown in his divorce from Whitney Houston, and Tori Spellling's ex, Charlie Shahnaian. She's also a frequent legal analyst in magazines and on television.

She also authored Divorce: It's All About Control, once explaining that, "I've yet to handle a divorce where control was not an issue or at issue."

Phillips becomes Spears's fourth lawyer in her ongoing battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Her first attorney, Laura Wasser, resigned from her case last September shortly after Spears's divorce from Federline was finalized.

Spears then hired the firm Freid & Goldsman, but their relationship ended within days, before retaining Trope, who sought to leave the case, come back, then filed papers again to depart, this time for good.