According to www.people.com "Laura Wasser, Britney Spears' divorce attorney has stepped down as her attorney in the custody battle with Kevin Federline. Wasser said Spears would be in "excellent hands" with her replacement and added, "I don't want anyone to perceive that we're dumping Britney."
 
In essence, Ms. Wasser has fired her own client. Can this happen to you in the middle of your own divorce or custody battle?

Yes. An attorney can petition the court to be removed from a client's case. If this happens to you, you can ask the court to grant you 30 days to find a new attorney. You can also fire your divorce attorney and seek new representation, although if you try to switch lawyers too far into the case, a judge may deny your request if there are upcoming court dates already scheduled on the family court calender.

Why would a lawyer want to fire their own client? In the case of Britney Spears, it is most likely her inability to take advice from her own legal counsel, therefore jeopardizing her own chances to retain joint custody of her two young sons. .In most cases, conflict of interest, personal or health problems or a lack of communication with the client can all be factors in a lawyer's decision to remove himself from a case.