Britney Spears' lawyer says K-Fed can pay own bill

If Kevin Federline can afford to tip a waitress two grand, he can pay his own legal fees, say lawyers for Britney Spears. Monday in a Los Angeles court, K-Fed pleaded poverty, saying his ex-wife should continue to pay his hefty law bill — $405,000 to be exact. In just four months, the acrimonious exes have racked up over a million dollars in lawyers' fees, all of which Brit is currently responsible for.

But Stacy Phillips, Britney's newest legal eagle, says that the once down-and-out Federline is more than capable of paying his own bills. "He needs to take responsibility for the diligent work being done on his behalf," she said.

Phillips told the court commissioner Federline should pay between $150,000 and $175,000 and claimed he omitted his $200,000 spousal- support checks from his earning declarations. Phillips also argued that Federline recently tipped a waitress $2,000 on a $365 bill, and has blown $20,000 on jewelry, phone calls and food while listing the charges as "business expenses."

Mark Vincent Kaplan, lawyer for Federline, says that Britney should not only keep signing his checks, but that the singer is actually getting a bargain. Said Kaplan: "If the court does not order [her] to pay, there cannot be a legal playing field. Our fees are far under the market level for the package you get."

He may be right. Spears' old law firm, Trope and Trope, charged her $630,000 for four months' work, while Federline's bill from Kaplan was about $250,000 less.

Spears didn't actually attend the hearing — her dad, Jamie Spears, executor of her estate, made an appearance. The pop tart may have been home preparing for her upcoming foray into television: CBS has confirmed that Spears will be a guest star on an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" this season.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/03/11/2008-03-11_britney_spears_lawyer_says_kfed_can_pay_.html